The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Chouteau County Performing Arts, in partnership with The Pioneer Lodge, Montana Flour and Grains and Ron and Dee Lohse, are proud to bring you our first annual Pianos Along the Missouri Festival, featuring Steven Hesla. The festival will include an evening concert, at 7PM on Tuesday, March 5th at the Fort Benton Elementary School, and two master classes, for selected students, in Great Falls and Fort Benton. Steven Hesla, piano professor at the University of Montana, inaugurates the new piano festival in Fort Benton with a lively show incorporating local pianists from Chouteau and Cascade counties, as well as his own interpretations of Gershwin, Scott Joplin, Chopin, Bach, and others.

Both master classes are open for the public to come and observe. The Great Falls master class will be 1:30 to 4:30 PM on March 3rd, at Crossroads Memorial Church, 1700 Market Place Dr. For information on this class call Judy O'Dell 750-5298. The Fort Benton Class will be 5:30 to 7:30 PM on March 4th, at the Fort Benton Elementary School Auditorium. For information, call Amanda Robertson 529-9125.

Hesla, a piano professor at The University of Montana's School of Music, since 1978, received his Bachelor of music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, and his Master of Music degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana. Prior to his employment at The University of Montana he served on the faculty at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

A popular performer and clinician, Professor Hesla has served as Convention Artist for state and provincial music teachers conventions in both the United States and Canada. Guest Artist appearances have included recitals at the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Alaska at Anchorage, and the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria.

Recently his resident university chamber ensemble, the Montana Piano Trio, received a University of Montana Research Grant to perform concerts in Austria, Germany, and on concert series in the Midwestern United States. They also provided master instruction to outstanding solo and chamber musicians in Europe. During his sabbatical in 2002-2003 he represented Young Audiences of Western Montana, performing in schools and providing community concerts in rural communities for more than 3000 students and their families.

Admission to the Tuesday March 5th concert is by CCPA season ticket or $15 at the door the night of the show. Students currently enrolled in school in Chouteau County get free admission. Check out CCPA's website at http://www.fortbenton.com/arts. For more info please call 750-2918 or 622-5677. CCPA concerts are presented in part by grants from The Montana Cultural Trust, The Montana Arts Council, WESTAF, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Montana Performing Arts Consortium, The Lippard-Clawiter Foundation and the Leroy and Claris Strand Foundation.

Students from Chouteau County, who will be in the Fort Benton, master class on March 4th, include

Harley LaBuda, Lexi Bahnmiller, Emmy Carrier, Maggie Carrier, Bailey Gasvoda, Jaycee Worrall, Sienna Stone, Lizzie Summers

Some of these students may be selected to perform in the evening concert on March 5th in Fort Benton.

Big Sandy' school music teacher, Amanda Robertson, will also perform with Hesla at this March 5th concert.