Experience Musical Mastery: Jeremy Denk Headlines Wassermann Piano Series at Utah State University

LOGAN, Utah — The Wassermann Piano Series will present internationally-celebrated pianist and writer Jeremy Denk at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 in Utah State University’s Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall. Denk will offer a program of Bach, Schubert, Clara Schumann, Chopin, Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Nuit” and Missy Mazoli’s “Heartbreaker.”

Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists, proclaimed by The New York Times “a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs.” Denk is also a New York Times bestselling author, winner of both the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In the 2023-24 season, Denk premieres a new concerto written for him by Anna Clyne, co-commissioned and performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra led by Fabio Luisi, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra led by Kazuki Yamada, and the New Jersey Symphony led by Markus Stenz.

He also returns to London’s Wigmore Hall for a three-concert residency, performing Bach’s Solo Partitas, as well as collaborating with the Danish String Quartet, and performing works by Charles Ives with violinist Maria Wloszczowska. He further reunites with Krzysztof Urbanski to perform with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and again with the Danish String Quartet in Copenhagen at their festival Series of Four.

“Presenting pianist and writer Jeremy Denk is not only a special event for Utah State University, but also for the state of Utah and our western region,” said Cahill Smith, associate professor of piano in the Caine College of the Arts and director of the Wassermann Series. “Mr. Denk is not only a first-rate pianist, but a deep thinker about music, with published books, librettos and articles published by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and others. Thanks to the supporters of the Wassermann Series and the Caine College of the Arts, patrons can experience world-class artistry at a fraction of the cost they might pay to hear Mr. Denk perform in Wigmore Hall earlier this season.”

The Wassermann Piano Series is an annual piano series hosted by the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University. Founded in 1980 by Irving Wassermann as the Wassermann Festival, the series has featured acclaimed soloists such as Krystian Zimerman, Sergey Babayan, Daniil Trifonov, the Brad Mehldau Trio, Stephen Hough, Marc-André Hamelin, and Yundi Li. The setting of the series in picturesque Cache Valley combined with the world-class Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall at the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University make the Wassermann Piano Series a major arts event each year.

Alongside presenting world-class performing artists, the Caine College is committed to the late Irving Wassermann’s vision of maximizing the educational impact these artists have on aspiring music students. For all Wassermann guest artists, USU students will enjoy the unique opportunity to work closely with the artists in inspiring masterclasses free and open to the public.

The Caine College of Arts Visiting Artists and Scholars Series is underwritten by the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation-Russell Family, the Tanner Charitable Trust and differential tuition provided by the students of the college.

For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit wassermann.usu.edu. Tickets are $35 for general admission and $15 for students and youth under 18. Contact the CCA Box Office in room L101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU’s campus, call 435-797-8022, or visit the event webpage.