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Lucy Tan, director of keyboard studies and lecturer of applied piano, welcomes all the students, families and teachers to the gala concert. Tan asked everyone to keep their phones and personal devices silent for the duration of the performance.
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Ara Kim, piano performer, performs the “Minuet in G minor from the Klavier Suite” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The gala concert happened from 7:30-9 p.m. in Hurd Recital Hall.
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Viviane Barnes, piano performer, performs “Castanets” by Catherine Rollin. A total of 22 piano performers participated in this concert.
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Pianist Frederick Deng performs “Sonatina in C major, Op. 55, No. 1” by Friedrich Kuhlau. This event features students who are the laureates of Washburn Piano Day 2026.
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Agraj Bhandari, junior computer science major and pianist, performs “Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1” by Frederic Chopin. Bhandari selected his own piece for the performance with feedback from his teacher.
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All the performers click a group photo after the concert is over. Altogether, 22 pieces were performed in this concert.
On Tuesday, April 21, Washburn piano and organ society held a gala concert at Hurd Recital Hall from 7:30-9 p.m. Around 100 spectators were present in this concert which featured students from Washburn Piano Day 2026, showcasing those who received high ratings in their auditions.
Lucy Tan, director of keyboard studies and lecturer of applied piano, described that this concert gives pre-college student winners the chance to perform before a public audience, as well as share the stage with our college piano majors, who have spent the semester preparing more advanced repertoire. She also described what kind of atmosphere she hoped to create for the audience.
“I was hoping to create an experience where people could really enjoy the music and have a good time and also feel relaxed,” Tan said. “Because classical music can also be relaxing, but at the same time, feel proud of what the students have been able to accomplish and inspired by their music.”
Tan explained that the pieces performed by the pre-college students were chosen by their individual piano teachers. John Heithoff, senior piano performance major, describes his performance.
“I’m a little nervous, but I’m also excited to share music I’ve been working very hard to repair for the last year and more,” Heithoff said.
Heithoff hoped that the audience would experience the joy of music, conveying the idea that music is life-giving and that, much like life itself, there is joy in simply listening and watching.
Agraj Bhandari, junior computer science major, was one of the performers who described his experience of the concert.
“Overall, it’s a really good experience, because I get to hear a lot of people playing a lot of different pieces. I get to perform my own as well, and that’s really nice,” Bhandari said.
Bhandari also described how he prepared for the concert.
“I choose my own piece, and then I take it to my professor in my classes and let her give me feedback on how I can improve that piece,” Bhandari said. “Then in my own time, I go to the practice room and practice my own piece.”
This concert also features students from northeast Kansas. A senior piano recital by Heithoff will take place at 7:30 p.m. on April 23 in Hurd Recital Hall.
Edited by Stuti Khadka
