Newhouse School, College of Visual and Performing Arts to celebrate release of ‘3-D Piano’ with special concert event

Friday, January 16, 2009, By News Staff

Wendy S. Loughlin
(315) 443-2785

A six-DVD series on piano teaching and playing “3-D Piano” will be launched with a special concert event on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. The event is free and open to the public, but an R.S.V.P. is required by Jan. 30 by calling (315) 449- 2443 or e-mailing ThreeDPiano@gmail.com. Free parking is available in Syracuse University pay lots; special needs parking is available in the Quad 1 lot by request.

“3-D Piano” is an instructional DVD series produced by Richard Breyer, professor of television, radio and film in SU’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and Fred Karpoff, associate professor of music in the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

More than four hours of video and an accompanying book guide users through the concepts of the three-dimensional technique in the teaching and playing of piano.

“This is the realization of a long-term dream,” says Karpoff, “to convey the tenets of interdependent piano playing in a cutting-edge, interactive format that will reach viewers worldwide.”

“I believe we’ve done something quite unique,” says Breyer. “We’ve produced a series that is part documentary and part instructional.”

Web and print graphics for the project were designed by Greg Hedges, Newhouse visiting professor of visual and interactive communications.

The Feb. 10 event will include a performance of Brahms by the Boccaccio Trio (Jeremy Mastrangelo, associate concertmaster of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and adjunct in the Setnor School, violin; David LeDoux, principal cellist of the SSO, cello; and Karpoff, piano); a 10- minute screening of excerpts from the series; and a book display.

A dessert reception will follow on the second floor of Crouse College in front of the Winged Victory sculpture.

For more information, contact Mylinda Smith at (315) 443-9252 or msmith@syr.edu. More information about Karpoff is available at http://www.fredkarpoff.com.