Renowned Piano Team Returns to Upstate for Free Concert
The award-winning Pas de Duo piano team will return to the Converse campus Sunday, Dec. 3, for a free concert in Daniel Recital Hall at 3 p.m. The concert is a collaborative Christmas gift to the Upstate community by Converses Petrie School of Music and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
Based in San Francisco, CA, Pas de Duo is comprised of Naomi Sanchez and Stephen Varney. They last visited Converse in April 2005 and were the big winners in the 2005 Ellis Competition for Duo Pianists, which is held bi-annually on the Converse campus and is the only recognized American duo-competition sponsored by a national music organization. It is a competition which attracts piano teams from throughout the US
Fresh from their Oct. 14 Carnegie Hall debut, Pas de Duo’s current concert season includes engagements in over 20 cities throughout the country. In May, there were featured performers at the San Francisco International Music Festivals showcase of the Grotrian Duo Grand Piano.
Their repertoire spans both classical and popular music, and they specialize in presenting lively, family-oriented, multi-media concerts, such as the annual Holiday Candlelight Gala. Their recitals are marked by the inclusion of a variety of genres which capture the interest of audiences of all ages. Their concert programs include audience favorites as well as lesser known and new works.