MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS (September 16, 2022) — Saxophonist Phil Pierick and pianist Casey Dierlam Tse will present a concert at 7:30PM, Wednesday, September 21, in the Kasch Performance Hall of Monmouth College's Dahl Chapel and Auditorium.
Titled "Pillars: New Works for Saxophone and Piano," the concert is free and open to the public.
The program will open with a piece by Croation composer Dora Pejacevic, who died roughly a century ago, and whose piece reflects the time of World War I, but living composers wrote the other five selections, including four born after 1989. The lone exception is the composer of the final selection, Osnat Netzer. Born in 1979, Netzer composed "Pillars" in 2014. The other selections were written since then, including "Sanctuary" by Viet Cuong, which was composed in 2020.
"This concert of recently-composed works for saxophone and piano is going to be outstanding and is a wonderful opportunity for our campus and community," said Monmouth music professor Tim Pahel. "Both performers are top-notch, and we are delighted to welcome them to Monmouth College."
Based in Chicago, Pierick is a saxophonist, improviser, singer, and educator. Equally at home performing a range of music from Renaissance motets to 21st-century works, he has been described as "the Swiss Army knife of saxophonists."
As a soloist and member of the saxophone duo Ogni Suono, Pierick has performed more than 130 recitals worldwide, including teaching engagements at many of America's leading university music programs. He teaches as an adjunct instructor of saxophone at Butler University in Indianapolis.
Dierlam Tse, who has served on the faculty at Knox College, is an avid performer of contemporary music and is devoted to working with and promoting the music of innovative new composers, both through solo performances and collaborative endeavors.
She was a recipient of the Urbana Public Arts Grant and won the 21st Century Piano Commission Competition at the University of Illinois. She also won first prize at the Rose Petroff College Piano Competition held in San Antonio and has been a finalist at the St Louis Artist Presentation Society Competition.
Along with solo performances, Dierlam Tse is also active as a collaborative pianist. She regularly performs for student and guest artist recitals throughout the country and is the collaborative piano coordinator for the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference. She is currently a freelance musician in Iowa City.
