George Winston to give solo piano concert to benefit UH Manoa Music Department

University of Hawaiʻi
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Posted: Aug 3, 2004

George Winston, the renowned solo piano artist known for his top-selling series on Windham Hill Records, gives a benefit concert on Sunday, August 22 at 7 p.m. to benefit the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Music Department.

The program takes place in Orvis Auditorium and offers Winston‘s unique piano stylings in an intimate atmosphere. His diverse repertoire ranges from melodic flok piano to R & B and stride piano.

Benefit tickets are $40 each by calling the UHM Music Department at 956-7756. Proceeds from the concert assist the activities of faculty and students in the department, including providing for scholarships, guest artists and research support.

The benefit concert is supported by the Pagoda Hotel.

According to Tom Bingham, chair of the department, not only is Winston providing the benefit concert for the University, but he also is lending support for the Hawaiʻi Food Bank by asking concertgoers to bring non-perishable canned foods to the show. His CDs also will be available for purchase at the concert, with proceeds benefiting the Hawaiʻi Food Bank. Winston works with food banks everywhere he performs.

Born in 1949, Winston grew up mainly in Montana, and spent his later formative years in Mississippi and Florida. The pronounced seasonal changes he experienced in Montana became the primary inspiration for the music he continues to play today. Acclaimed for his artistry for more than two decades, Winston‘s solo piano albums include "Autumn," "Winter into Spring," "December," "Summer," "Forest," "Linus & Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi," "Plains," and "Night Divides the Day - The Music of the Doors." In 2002, he recorded and released "Remembrance," a six-track CD of piano, guitar and harmonica solos to benefit those affected by the events of 9/11 2001.

Winston presently is working on a new solo piano album entitled "Montana - A Love Story," as well as recording the masters of Hawaiian slack key guitar for an extensive series of albums.

He also was the focus of a feature length video/DVD produced for PBS, entitled "George Winston - Seasons in Concert," which included live concert performances and interviews.