South African fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout presents recital March 15

South African fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, winner of the Westfield Center for keyboard studies’ prestigious Young Scholar’s Award, will present a fortepiano recital in Washington University’s Karl Umrath Hall Lounge at 8 p.m. Monday, March 15.

The concert, part of a national tour sponsored by the Westfield Center, is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences. Karl Umrath Hall is located immediately north of the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, call (314) 935-4841.

The program includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat Major, K 570; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in D Major, op. 10, no. 3; and works of C. P. E. Bach and Joseph Martin Kraus.

The 25-year-old Bezuidenhout holds a master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, N.Y. He has performed at festivals throughout Europe and collaborated with such renowned figures in historical performance as lutenist Paul O’Dette and fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. In 2001, Bezuidenhout presented his New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall and was awarded First Prize and Audience Prize at the Festival of Flanders International Fortepiano Competition. He currently teaches fortepiano and 18th-century performance practice at the Eastman School of Music.

Based in Seattle, the Westfield Center was founded in 1979 and is the nation’s preeminent organization for the advancement of classical keyboard music. The center is renowned for its advocacy on behalf of classical keyboard instruments and for outstanding workshops and symposia, publications and international tours.