The 40th Annual Dr. Sharyn Edwards Piano Festival is March 16 through March 17 at Southeastern Community College. The two-day event, named in honor of Edwards, an acclaimed former Southeastern Community College music faculty member, includes piano competitions and recitals by students in kindergarten through college. The opening concert is Friday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the SCC Auditorium. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, the featured artist is Dr. Sharyn Edwards.
A native of Asheville, NC, Dr. Edwards holds the Doctorate of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of South Carolina where she studied with renowned Raymond Dudley and John Adams. She earned the Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance at the University of Kentucky where she studied with James Bonn, and the Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance as a student of Dr. John P. Adams at Mars Hill University. In 1999 she made her New York debut at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall and her first CD was released on the Musikus Label featuring selections by Scarlatti, Haydn Debussy, Liszt and Schumann. She was also selected as an artist on the International Artist Alliance Roster. Professional performances include appearing as piano soloist with the Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte Repertory Orchestra, Charleston Symphony, Fayetteville and Wilmington Symphony Orchestras. Other concerts include a successful tour in Russia in 2001 where she performed at the Grand Palace and the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory.
The Dr. Sharyn Edwards Piano Festival is dedicated to meeting the needs of piano students and teachers from the southeastern North Carolina counties of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, New Hanover, Pender, and Robeson. Participants from other parts of the state are welcome.