Navajo classical pianist Connor Chee performs three concerts in southern Utah
By Joyce Hartless
Classical pianist Connor Chee will perform at the Center for the Arts in Kayenta May 17 at 7:30 p.m. The next evening, May 18, at 7:30 p.m., he will perform at the Canyon Community Center in Springdale, and Fredonia High School will host his final performance May 19 at 7 p.m.
The style and scope of Chee’s music is breathtaking. His exquisite compositions of Navajo vocalizations and preludes highlight the depth and richness of his Navajo heritage.
If you haven’t yet heard Chee play, you’re in for an extraordinary musical experience. From his CD, “The Navajo Piano,” Chee will play original Navajo “vocables” — melodies unique to his culture — that awaken us to the sacredness of the Native American worldview and beauty of the Navajo people. This extraordinarily gifted musician and composer also plays works from the classical piano repertoire as beautifully as you’ll hear anywhere. Claude Debussy’s lovely and moving “Claire de Lune” is included in the program as well as premiere performances of entirely new works by Chee, expressing Navajo creation stories from his just released recording, titled “Emergence.”
Chee cultivated his prodigious talent from a young age under the tutelage of instructors in his hometown of Page, Arizona. At age 12, Chee won gold in the World Piano Competition’s Young Artist Division, earning his first performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, then winning multiple awards in the World Piano Competition. Chee received his bachelor’s degree in music from Eastman in 2009 and a master’s degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He was awarded first prize in the 2016 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition and performed in the winners’ recital at Carnegie Hall. He also received the Best Instrumental Recording award at the 16th annual Native American Music Awards for “The Navajo Piano” and was nominated for Best New Artist and Record of the Year.
The concerts are presented in partnership with the 12th annual Amazing Earthfest in Kanab.
“I’ve got a soft spot for piano, but Connor Chee’s ‘Navajo Vocable No. 2’ could bring a person to tears,” said Rich Csenge, president of Amazing Earthfest.
Residing in Phoenix, Chee performs throughout the United States. To hear Connor play piano, visit connorchee.com. Get your tickets early to these one-of-a-kind events.
Admission to the Kayenta concert costs $30. Tickets are available online at kayentaarts.com. The Center for the Arts at Kayenta located at 881 Coyote Gulch Ct. in Ivins. For more information, call (435) 674-2787.
Tickets for the Springdale performance are $15 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com or at the door (cash only). The Canyon Community Center is located at 126 Lion Blvd. in Springdale. For more information, visit zarts.org or call (435) 772-3434, extension 313.
Admission to the Fredonia concert costs $10, and tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com or at the door (cash only). Fredonia High School is located at 221 Hortt St. in Fredonia, Arizona. For more information, call (928) 643-7333 or visit amazingearthfest.com/events.
Articles related to “Navajo classical pianist Connor Chee performs three concerts in southern Utah”
Petition to reinstate terminated Dixie State University professors circulating online
Southern Utah ice cream trucks revolutionizing classical music
Dixie State University is firing people, again — a suggestion on how to respond
