Ataloa Theatre, Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
A Tribute to Scott Joplin will mark the centennial of the death of America’s great composer of ragtime music. Joplin, known during his lifetime as the “King of Ragtime,” composed some of the most well-known musical pieces of the era, including The Entertainer, and the Maple Leaf Rag. Standing as great music in its own right, Joplin’s ragtime, with its syncopated rhythms, also became a major influence upon and a forerunner of Jazz. The event will include concerts by ECU students and faculty throughout the day. At the 7:30 event, will be a combination lecture-concert featuring Chautauqua historic presenter Charles Everett Pace and pianist Donald Ryan. Mr. Pace will provide the first segment of the program. Through his Chautauqua historical presentation of Scott Joplin, members of the audience will gain insights into the man behind the music and his place in history Following a brief intermission, Donald Ryan will take the stage to perform a variety of Joplin pieces. The event is free and open to the public, sponsored by Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
