Cameron Carpenter is a rare, extraordinary musician. Carpenter will have his abundance of talents on display at the East Alabama Arts Performance Series 2012-2013.
The Grammy-nominated, world-renowned organist will kick off the Performance Series at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts located at 1700 Lafayette Parkway.
The Performance Series is an annual performing arts series that features top national and international touring ensembles and solo artists.
The Performance Series was founded in 1987 and celebrated its 25th Anniversary last year.
“Cameron is always excited to play for new audiences,” said Carpenter’s spokeswoman, Amanda Sweet. He will be kicking off his U.S. tour in Opelika before he heads to Princeton, N.J., Terre Haute, Ind., Baton Rouge, La., Richmond, Va., New York City, San Francisco and more.”
The Pennsylvania native showed signs early that he had a special knack for playing keys. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that his parents were told by a church organist who heard a four-year-old Carpenter play in Cleveland that they “have got a young Mozart on your hands.”
Carpenter has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Julliard School in New York City. He performs frequently on both the electric organ and the larger pipe organ.
He has been called “the most controversial organ player in the world” by the Dallas Morning News and “a fallen angel who gives the organ back its sin.” by Dei Zeit.
The controversy stems from his tendecncy to stray from or add to the original composer’s score.
Critics recognize his virtuosic talent, though some say this doesn’t give him license to change well-known and world-renowned pieces.
Carpenter holds a powerful spot in the series lineup as he is the first performer the community can come out to see.
“He came to my attention as the first organist to be nominated for a Grammy for a solo album in 2008,” said Performance Series director, Phillip Preston. “Being different from what people are used to hearing we decided he would be a good start to the series.”
Carpenter is currently debuting excerpts from a new composition at a concert in Berlin and will be flying there Thursday directly after the end of his Opelika concert.
“Carpenter is one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument,” Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times said. "He is a smasher of cultural and classical music taboos. He is technically the most accomplished organist I have ever witnessed and most important of all, the most musical.”
This will be Carpenter’s first performance in the U.S. this fall. The last time he played in Alabama was in Huntsville in 2006.
The Arts Association of East Alabama has a goal to provide inspiring experiences for the people in the community.
Student tickets are available for $24 online. More information about Carpenter, the series and the organization is available at eastalabamaarts.org/Performance/cameroncarpenter.
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