Rutman gave a presentation on becoming a more thoughtful pianist during practice
Piano students in the School of Music had the opportunity to learn from award-winning musician Neil Rutman in a Madsen Recital Hall masterclass on Sept. 26.
Rutman’s career and concert tours have taken him around the world, with performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan. His international honors include top prizes in the Concert Artist Guild, Johann Sebastian Bach and French Piano Institute competitions. Rutman currently serves as an artist-in-residence at the University of Southern Arkansas.
Graduate student Lindsay Bastian was the first pianist to work with Rutman, performing Beethoven’s “Sonata in A major,” op. 101.
“I really appreciated how kind he was from the very beginning,” said Bastian. “I was a little nervous going in, but he put me at ease right away. He focused his comments on creating connections with the audience through the music. The Beethoven piece I played has a lot of emotional depth, and it was great to hear his perspective on how to access that.”