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Show A Day Of Inspiration Established By Alumna By Glnny Gale The Zilpha and Christian M. Beck Memorial Committee presents Gaiy Graffman. acclaimed internationally pianist, as this years guest at A Day of Inspiration" Gary Graffman receives more raves with his left hand than most pianists do with both hands, Gary Graffimam Visits Westminster By Glnny Gale Internationally acclaimed pianist Gary Graffman will be a guest at Westminster 2 College on February as part of the "A of colleges Day Inspiration" Program. Hailed by Newsweek as one of the great living pianists," Graffman has been performing around the world since his debut with the PhiladelphiaDrfchestra at age 18. His recordings of concertos by Tchaikovsky. Rachmaninoff. Prokifiev. Brahms, Chopin and Beethoven have received acclaim, and his album of Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic became one of the g disks ever made by that orchestra. " However, in 1979 Graffmans performing career was interrupted by an ailment affecting the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand. The infliction was eventually related to a sprained knuckle received 15 years prior, and Graffman began rehabilitation. During his recuperative period. Graffman has not remained idle. He has returned to the concert stage to play the few, but brilliant, piano concertos written for the left hand alone (most of them commissioned early in thecentury by Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I). In addition to the famous Ravel Concerto, these include works by Prokifiev. Britten, and major Erich 21-2- best-sellin- Wolfgang Komgold. Graffmans enforced from the keyboard has provided him with opportunities to expand his horizons. In June, 1986 he was appointed to the post of Artistic Director of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. He has written articles semi-retireme- nt that have appeared in Conotsseur and The Village Voice, and is the author of a book of memoirs, I Really Should Be Practicing. His book has received praise from the Christian Science Monitor, the Times and Dally News in New York, and the Post in Washington. As Graffmans recent music making confirms, even single-handehe remains one of tie towering musicians of our time," as Paul Hume wrote in the Washington Post after the pianists Ravel Left Hand Concerto performance in that city. Following a performance at Carnegie Hall, the New York Times critic observed. "He showed that his left hand, at any rate, is in fine shape. The Ravel is a punishing piece that only a genuine virtuoso of Graffmans standing can hope to bring off with its full power and energy d, intact." . Although Grafimans violinist father had hoped his son would follow in his footsteps, the instrument proved too cumbersome for young Graffman. His attraction to and talent for the piano had by the age of seven earned him a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music, where Graffman studied with Isabelle Vengerova. After his graduation from Curtis. Graffman went on to study with Vladimir Horowitz and Rudolf Serkln. Graffman will speak at Westminster about the physical and psychological problems he faced concerning the loss of the use of his right hand, how he coped and ultimately preserved his musical career. The Feb. 21 lecture will be at 7:00 p.m. in Nunemaker Place, and the Feb. 22 lecture will be at 1 0:00 a.m. in Payne Gymnasium. Prior to the lectures, Graffman will appear with the Utah Symphony on Feb. 18-19. r 1RW MS SASSf MHO, I WS OUT ID sn'JuK&Vffiii teA wm at Westminster College. Graffman will present lectures on campus Feb. 21 and 22. There is no admission charge for students. The Graffman lectures are part of the program established by Westminster alumna Reva Beck Bosone, who later became the first female U.S. District Judge in the country. Bosone donated the trust fund for the Day of Inspiration Program as a perpetual memorial to her parents, Zilpha and Christian M. Beck. The Day of Inspiration" Program was designated in order to invite guests of notable reputation and outstanding ability to appear at W estminster for lecturing or performance. Bosone felt this would inspire and stimulate interest and discussion among those attending. Guests for the Day of Inspiration Program are chosen from such fields as art, science, business, religion and literature to provide discussion of public issues or subjects of timely interest. Bosone. after graduating from Westminster Junior College, went on to receive her bachelors degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her law degree from the University of Utah. In 1 974 she gave the commencement address at Westminster and received an honorary doctorate in humanities. Continually in the news in Utah for her outstanding accomplishments, Bosone was an avid supporter of womens rights. Not only remembered for her Firsts," but her many Womens firsts, Bosone served in the Utah House of Representatives from 1 933-3She was the first woman in Utah to be elected a judge and the first to organize a state program on alcoholism. She was the first woman to become a member of the House Interior Committee, and the first woman appointed judicial officer of the U.S. Post Office Department. Bosone was a member of the Salt Lake County Welfare Committee during World War H, and also oiganized the first successful Traffic School at the Salt Lake Police Station. In 1975 she was chosen one of 10 women in Utah history to be in a national bicentennial publication. Famous Mothers in American 5. History." Thanks to the trust fund through which she established the Day of Inspiration Program, Bosones dream to continue the program gives Westminster students the opportunity to share in the knowledge and experience of its uplifting guests. mras with dependents Beginning with your 1987 income tax return that you will file in 1988, you generally must list social security numbers for dependents who are at least five years old by the end of 1 987 . If any of your dependents do not have this number, get an form application today from the Social Security office in your area. hwrmiN cn Forum aMMcidVlMafiAtMf Handicapped Receive Help At Westminster By Randy Sullivant "We are dedicated to helping any individual who wants to pursue an education," Gary Fitzer, Dean of Students, said recently. There are no barriers that anyone with a strong enough will can not overcome- including the - handicapped in search of that education. Westminster College has currently identified twelve students on campus that wont allow their disability to interfere with their reaping the benefits of life. We do not have a good system for identifying the disabled ; students. We do try to seek them out, but unless they notify us or are referred by faculty members, we have a difficult time knowing. Many handicaps are not visible from the outside, Fitzer added. The College has taken note though, that they are here. Special attention was given to the concerns of the physically disabled - on crutches or a wheelchair when construction began for the new Gore building. Classroom locations and ramp access were addressed, as was the careful placement of barricades while construction is underway. Snow removal - or lack thereof - is a problem that affects all students, but is particularly hazardous to the disabled. The College installed new railings in the Shaw Center. Carleson Conference Center, and Foster Hall early in the fall semester. The railings are a safety measure for all students. The biggest use of Westminster resources though, is not for physical problems. We are veiy committed to helping students whos physical handicap becomes a learning disability," Fitzer said. This includes helping blind students get certified to receive resources such as text books on audio special tape or written in braille. They also help students suffering from disorders like dyslexia get access to the special materials they may need that are not readily available in the book store. A note-takin- g assistance service for students unable to get them is also provided. A learning disabled support group is being formed to assist these students whenever possible. We are doing a lot of things for an institution this size," Fitzer concluded. 2 February 2. 1988 - Issue 10 |