William Wolfram

Alastair Willis

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The Frank Moody Memorial Concert, sponsored by The University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences School of Music together with the Gloria Narramore Moody Foundation and Regions Bank, will present William Wolfram performing the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in a concert with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in the Moody Music Building Feb. 20 at 3 p.m.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra guest conductor Alastair Willis will lead the orchestra in the afternoon concert program, which will also feature Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” and Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from “Tristan and Isolde” and the “Rienzi” Overture.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has entertained audiences for more than 70 years, playing a variety of classical and popular musical compositions and hosting performances by some of the finest international guest artists in the world. The 54 talented musicians of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra bring to life some of the world’s most treasured musical masterpieces and introduce listeners to exciting new works and composers, performing more than 100 concerts for more than 100,000 persons annually.

Willis most recently led the Seattle Symphony as assistant conductor. He also served as assistant conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops orchestras and music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 1999, he was honored as one of six up-and-coming conductors chosen to participate in the American Symphony Orchestra League’s national Conductor Preview.

In May 2002, Yo Yo Ma asked Willis to be the conductor for several performances of his Silk Road Project residency presented by the Seattle Symphony and has invited Willis to work with him again at the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Acton, Mass., Willis lived with his family in Moscow before settling in Surrey, England. He received a degree from England’s Bristol University and earned a post-graduate certificate of education degree at Kingston University. He graduated with a master of music degree from Rice University in Houston.

Wolfram, an American pianist, was the winner of the Silver Medal in both the William Kapell and the Naumberg international piano competitions. He also holds the distinction of Bronze medalist of the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. Wolfram was the focus of an entire chapter in Joseph Horowitz’ book “The Ivory Trade;” and on television, he was a featured pianist in the film documentary of the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition.

He has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Florida Orchestra; and he enjoys close associations with the Dallas Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Overseas, Wolfram has appeared with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Budapest Philharmonic, the Capetown and Johannesburg symphonies of South Africa and the National Symphony of Peru.

In the recording studio, Wolfram has undertaken a project featuring the piano concertos of Edward Collins with Marin Alsop and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for the Albany label. He is beginning a project with Naxos records featuring the solo piano music of Franz Liszt.

This is the 16th year the Gloria Narramore Moody Foundation has brought internationally acclaimed talent and underwritten the performances of world-class performers at UA. Tickets prices for the concert are $22 and $15 for general admission and $7 for students. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the School of Music box office at 205/348-7111.