Winston to Perform at Pitt-Bradford

Nationally renowned melodic folk pianist George Winston will perform on Oct. 22 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The concert, which is the first offering in this year’s Season Subscription Series, starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. Winston, who performed the soundtrack for some of the Peanuts television specials, will perform several styles, including melodic folk piano, New Orleans R&B piano and stride piano on Pitt-Bradford's new 9- foot Steinway concert grand piano.

The show lineup includes selections from Winston’s popular recordings “Autumn,” “December,” “Winter into Spring,” and “Summer” as well as recordings from “Forest” and pieces from Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack to the animated television specials featuring the Peanuts cast of characters.

“George Winston is a first-rate pianist with an engaging personality and unusual modern repertoire that no one else can match,” said Randy Mayes, arts programming director.

Audience members are encouraged to bring canned goods that will be donated to the YWCA of Bradford Food Pantry. A portion of the show's merchandising proceeds will also go to that organization.

It's common for Winston to lend a helping hand to those facing troubled times.

Profits from his 2006 album recording “Gulf Coast Blues and Impressions – A Hurricane Relief Effort,” helped clean-up efforts in the Gulf Coast. He also assisted those affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with proceeds from a six-song album called a “Remembrance -- A Memorial Benefit.”

Winston emerged onto the music scene after releasing a 1972 solo piano album, “Ballads and Blues.”

Listening to songs composed by The Doors, an American rock band from the 1960s, prompted him to play the organ.

Winston said he credits his knowledge of music to Professor Longhair, the founder of the New Orleans R&B piano scene, as well as two other New Orleans pianists James Booker and Henry Butler.

He has produced several albums, including the solo piano children’s story “The Velveteen Rabbit” with narration by Meryl Streep in 1984; solo piano soundtrack for the Peanuts television show, “This is America Charlie Brown: The Birth of the Constitution” in 1988. In 1995, he worked with the late George Levenson of Informed Democracy on a solo guitar soundtrack for “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” as well as two soundtracks with piano, guitar, and harmonica solos for “Pumpkin Circle” and “Bread Comes to Life.”

Winston also released “Masters of the Hawaiian Slack KeyGuitar” after launching Dancing Cat Records in 1983.

He performs more than 110 concerts a year consisting of solo piano, solo guitar, solo harmonica and solo piano dances.

Sam Komlenic, a representative from the National Public Radio station WPSU, will give the curtain speech before the show as part of the “WPSU Night” to recognize many of the supporters of the station in the Bradford region.

Tickets for the show are $26 and $22 for the public and $11 and $9 for all students and are available by contacting Bromeley Family Theater box office at (814) 362-5113.

The Winston concert will also be the first event to feature a pre-show buffet dinner at 5:45 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The cost is $18 per person, and reservations should be made in advance. The menu will include chicken roulade, grilled yellow squash, strawberry mesclun salad and apple-pear crisp.

Other shows in the 2008-09 Season Subscription Series are the gospel trio D’Vine Jan. 24, the Russian National Ballet performing “The Sleeping Beauty” March 24 and Tony Award-winning musical “Bye Bye Birdie” April 30.

Winston will be my guest on WESB's LiveLine at 12:40 p.m. October 21.