Grammy Award winner pianist George Winston solos at Quick Center | Press Releases

Image: George Winston Grammy award winner, pianist George Winston, will play traditional folk melodies, contemporary and classic pop songs, some Hawaiian tunes and a bracing variety of Winston originals when he solos at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. Due to popular demand, a second concert has been added for Sat., Dec 1, at 8 p.m.

Winston is the undisputed master of contemporary solo piano and his lyrical style is often imitated but never duplicated. He spent much of his youth in eastern Montana on the edge of the Great Plains and it is this starkly beautiful landscape that inspires the performances and pieces on his latest recording "Plains." Said the artist, "Even on my earlier albums with the season themes, the plains are a deep inspiration for everything I do."

Last year George Winston celebrated his 25th anniversary as a recording artist, composer and producer. His first album, "Ballads and Blues" was picked up by Windham Hill in 1975, for whom he still records, and remains very active in the catalog, as do all of his releases.

Among his most memorable albums are: "Autumn" (1980), "Winter Into Spring" (1982) and "Summer" (1991). His last Windham Hill release, "Linus and Lucy" (1996), was RIAA-certified Gold. Winston also founded Dancing Cat Records in 1983, which has become one of the world's foremost labels specializing in Hawaiian slack key guitar recordings. With the release of "Plains," Winston continues his Herculean touring schedule throughout America and Asia.

Winston began playing organ and electric piano in 1967. In 1971, he switched to the acoustic piano and began working on his own styles of instrumental music on solo piano. He is currently working on music that comprises about two-thirds R&B/rock/standards and one-third melodic music. The latter includes most of his recorded output and it is mainly in this genre, described as rural folk piano, that he has chosen to record albums with specific themes.

The George Winston concert is sponsored in part by Fleet Bank. Tickets to both concerts are $30 and may be reserved by calling (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. Please join us in supporting Fairfield's Operation Hope by bringing a donation of non-perishable canned goods to the concert.