Pianists in Sequim spotlight

Published 10:14 am Wednesday, April 27, 2016

In concert

Who: Paul Creech & Good Company

When: 7:30 p.m. April 29, 30

Where: Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Cost: Tickets $15

Contact/more info: www.olympictheatrearts.org

Sequim Gazette staff

Not one, not two, not even three, but four grand pianos will grace the Olympic Theatre Arts stage with four exceptional pianists tickling the ivories this week.

Pianist and composer Paul Creech presents Paul Creech & Good Company for two performances, Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. Concert time is 7:30 p.m., with general seating.

Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at www.olympictheatrearts.org.

On stage with Creech will be three of his gifted students: 19-year-old Trent LaCour, Tyler Messenger, 14, and Gracye Houle, 11. All four have been practicing for several hours daily in preparation for this concert.

“We really focused on enjoying our practices as much as possible,” Creech said. “I believe this is reflected in our performance.”

Creech added that each time he works with great artists, he feels as if he has hit his zenith.

“This has been the case time after time during the course of my life and there seems to be no place to stop that I’m aware.”

He is particularly in awe of his three young protégés. He described them as “over the top,” when it comes to musical talent on the piano.

LaCour’s passion for piano began as a homeschool student when he was 11 years old. Within a year of piano lessons, his technical virtuosity and interpretive abilities became evident and he advanced his musical eduction under Creech’s direction. LaCour has studied with Creech since 2010 and the two have performed together in a variety of musical venues, including a piano duo concert with the Port Townsend Symphony last year.

Messenger began playing piano as a 7 year old. Creech discovered Messenger in 2015 and continues working with him on composition theory and technique. For Paul Creech & Good Company, Messenger memorized six pieces.

The youngest of the group, Houle began taking lessons and reading music at age 5. After moving to Sequim, she began instruction with Creech, and according to him, she has improved tremendously over the past three years. This is Houle’s first performance in front of an audience.

Creech has lived in Sequim for several years and is well-known in music circles throughout the North Olympic Peninsula. Born and raised on a farm in Missouri, Creech was introduced to the piano at age 9. He studied related theory and composition at Kansas State University and performed his own concertos with the Salina Symphony.

As he continued to perform for live audiences, Creech began offering music classes to private students and opened a successful piano tuning business. During his career, he has become acquainted with virtuosos Van Cliburn, Victor Borge and Steecher & Horowitz. As his musical career progressed, composing and arranging became a passion.

“For me, composing is a natural extension of my training and devotion to music,” he said. “Writing music for solo and two pianos or for full orchestra is a genuine treat because the music seems to flow effortlessly, inspiring the performers as well as the audience.”

The concert will fuse original orchestral arrangements with a diversity of music styles. Many of the pieces were composed rapidly, from the soul, Creech explained.

Emcee and conductor for Paul Creech & Good Company is Maestro Dewey Ehling, best known as the conductor and director of the Peninsula Singers.

For questions or more information, visit www.olympictheatrearts.org or call the theater at 683-7326.