Guest recital features international musician

From staff reports

International musician Willis Delony will speak the different languages of music in his “Out of Character” guest recital on jazz piano.

Delony will perform selections from his most recent CD recording, “Out of Character: Classical and Jazz Connections III,” tonight at 8 p.m. in the Kimbrough Concert Hall.

Director of the WSU School of Music Greg Yasinitsky said, “Willis is one of the finest pianists in the country with the unique ability to cross effortlessly between the classical and jazz worlds.”

Before the recital, Delony will host a free clinic for students from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in Kimbrough 115.

Delony is the Virginia Martin Howard professor of piano and professor of jazz studies at Louisiana State University. He is an international musician, having performed in countries such as France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico.

“I think it is a wonderful opportunity to attend this clinic and be able to work with him face to face,” Secretary of Allegro and graduate student Alvin De Los Santos said. “I am very glad to see Allegro bring performers and artists of this caliber to WSU, Pullman and Moscow.”

Allegro is a registered student organization that works as a music advocacy group and provides funding to bring guest artists to the Palouse, De Los Santos said. Allegro organized this event in collaboration with the Jazz Society at WSU.

“From my perspective as a jazz artist, it is incredibly rare to find an artist, let alone on jazz piano, who is able to cross effortlessly between classical and jazz music,” De Los Santos said. “They are very different languages, and I think it is an absolutely brilliant talent that Delony has. It will be interesting to hear his perspective on it.”

The clinic is open to all WSU students, and the recital is free of charge to the public.

Reporting by Corin Uchuion