Prescott piano and voice teacher, choir director and bell choir director at Joy Lutheran Church, Deanna Roen, who passed away in 2022, is being posthumously honored with both a commissioned suite of piano pieces and a two-day music event at UWRF on September 15th and 16th. Two generous and anonymous donors provided the funds for the commission and event, which will include the world premiere performance of a brand-new suite of piano pieces, composed in honor of Roen by one of her favorite composers, Dr. Kevin Olson. Dr. Olson, who will be leading the weekend’s workshops and attending the premiere, has published over 200 books and solos, and is an active performer and piano professor at Utah State University. The commissioned suite, titled “Scenes from the Northwoods”, is inspired by Deanna’s love of her cabin and the surrounding area. It will be performed on Friday, September 15th at 7:30 PM, at Kleinpell Hall, at UWRF, by four of Deanna’s former Prescott piano students, Connor Hince, Tessa Johnson, Ashley Keller and Rory Zuehlsdorf. A dinner, catered by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, will precede the concert. Surrounding the concert are additional events for piano teachers and piano students, most of which are free and open to the public. These events include a workshop for piano teachers on motivational psychology, composing and the art of interpretation, and student-oriented master classes on composition, all of which will be led by Dr. Olson.
(Deanna Roen. Submitted photo.)
