Gloria Tham, a 2002 Southwestern College graduate, is returning Monday, April 13, to present her third and final doctoral recital titled “Chinoiserie at the Piano.” The recital will be in Messenger Auditorium in Darbeth Fine Arts Center and there is no admission charge.
The recital will trace the history of the piano in China and relate to current events concerning China. The recital is an eclectic mix of miniatures, Western and Chinese-themed pieces ranging from the standard composers of Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin to Lin Yuepei, a Hong Kong composer. There will also be a display of concert programs, playbills, and scores collected by Tham when she was in Beijing last fall.
Born in Kampar, Malaysia, Tham started piano lessons at age five. She graduated summa cum laude from Southwestern College with a degree in piano performance. Her teacher was Timothy Shook, chair of the division of performing arts at SC. Following a year of graduate work at Kansas State University as a student of Virginia Houser, Tham transferred to Wichita State University. She finished her master of music degree in piano performance, studying under Andrew Trechak, in 2005. She taught class piano and applied piano at Wichita State. Besides being an active performer, Tham was also involved in music ministry, accompanying, teaching, and adjudicating.
“At age 18, Gloria came halfway around the world to Southwestern College,” Shook says. “She had such a fear of performing back then. It is magnificent to see how she has grown.”
Currently, she is a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the University of Alabama, studying with Noel Engebretson. She teaches music appreciation and music in world cultures, and maintains a private teaching studio. She is writing her dissertation on the influence of socialist realism in Chinese piano music during the Cultural Revolution under Chinese history professor, Anthony E. Clark. She expects to graduate in June this year.
For more information about the recital, call (620) 229-6272.
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