UAB Department of Music Concert Series: Sara Daneshpour, pianist

On Sunday, March 10^th, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music presented pianist Sara Daneshpour as a part of their Piano Concert Series at the University’s Alys Stephens Center.  During the two-hour program Daneshpour performed works from Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Granados, Ravel, and Prokofiev.  After a thunderous round of applause, she returned to encore her performance with Prelude for the Left Hand by Scriabin.

In the first hour of the recital Daneshpour performed Robert Schumann’s Variations on the name ABEGG, Op. 1, Frederic Chopin’s Scherzo No. 4 in E major, and No. 1 though 6 of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39.  After a short intermission, the concert was completed with performances of Enrique Granados’ Goyescas:  El Amor y la muerte, Maurice Ravel’s Gaspoard de la Nuit, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Toccata, Op. 11.  Throughout the entire performance Daneshpour was incredibly dedicated to the music she was presenting, as her facial expressions and body language conveyed as much emotion as the music itself.

Daneshpour is originally from Washington, D.C. and has performed not only around the continental United States but also in several locations globally.  Through her stilling growing career she has been awarded honors such as First Prizes at the XII Concours International de Musique du Maroc, 2007 International Russian Music Piano Competition, and 2003 Beethoven Society of America Competition.  She received her undergraduate degree from he Curtis Institute of Music and is currently completely her Master's degree at the Juilliard School.  Within the next few months, Daneshpour is scheduled to perform in several locations throughout the United States and Canada.

This performance concluded the UAB Department of Music’s 2012-2013 Piano Concert Series.  Daneshpour’s performance was preceded by presentations of Nikolai Lugansky in October of 2012 and Alexander Shtarkman in January.