Washington International Piano Series: Francesca Hurst, Piano Recital

• Francesca Hurst, piano

Jennifer Margaret Barker — Geenyoch Ballant
Jennifer Margaret Barker — BuMian
Faina Lushtak — Sonata in C
Frédéric Chopin — Four Mazurkas, Op. 17
Caroline Shaw — Gustave Le Gray
Jennifer Margaret Barker — Moana
Faina Lushtak — Old and New

The Washington International Piano Series presents a solo recital by classical and new music pianist Francesca Hurst featuring music by Jennifer Margaret Barker, Frederic Chopin, Faina Lushtak, and Caroline Shaw. At ease with a wide range of repertoire, Francesca makes sense of the music regardless of style and period, is passionate about communicating with her audiences, and has a special interest in performing music by women.

Francesca has appeared as a solo and collaborative guest artist at festivals like the Atlantic Music Festival, New Music Gathering, and the Bang on a Can Music Marathon. Equally versatile in the classical repertoire, she has played in such venues as the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; and internationally in Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, and most recently in France, where she performed with flutist Robert Cart at the American Cathedral in Paris. She was just named to the 2023-2024 Performing Artist Touring Roster of the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Francesca is on the piano faculty at The Catholic University of America and maintains a thriving private piano studio in northern Virginia.

About Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, & Art of The Catholic University of America

https://arts.catholic.edu

About Francesca Hurst, piano

Recognized for her “quicksilver passagework” and “tender lyricism” (The Washington Post), yet not afraid to shout, swing her foot onto the piano or don fingerless gloves if the music demands it, pianist Francesca Hurst divides her playing evenly between classical and contemporary music. Classically trained, she accidentally fell into the new music scene in 2013 when she stepped in last minute for a gig with Great Noise Ensemble. At ease with a wide repertoire, she makes sense of the music regardless of style and period. During the pandemic, she created the 100-day online series Daily Dose of Piano. The series featured music from the Baroque to today, including 14 premieres. Francesca has appeared as a solo and collaborative guest artist at many new music festivals, including the Atlantic Music Festival, the Bang on a Can Music Marathon, New Music Gathering, and the Charlotte New Music Festival. She has performed and premiered music by composers such as Armando Bayolo, Martin Bresnick, Rahilia Hasanova, and Pierre Jalbert. In the US she has played in such venues as the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and internationally in Bulgaria, Italy, and Portugal. Francesca holds a DMA and MM in piano performance from The Catholic University of America, as well as a BFA in piano and a BA in Italian from Tulane University. She is on the piano faculty at Catholic University and previously taught at Trinity Washington University. Her teachers include Ivo Kaltchev, Faina Lushtak, and Maryen Herrett. In addition, she maintains a thriving private piano studio and is a member of the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association, the College Music Society, and Music Teachers National Association. She is an MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and a teacher with MusicLink Foundation. https://www.francescahurst.com