BEMIDJI, Minn. – Deborah Steinbar, together with guest musician Sarah Carlson, will present a faculty duo-harpsichord recital at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 6, at Bemidji State University featuring keyboard concertos by J.S. Bach, including selections from the rarely performed “The Art of Fugue.”

The concert, which is offered free of charge, will be held in the Thompson Recital Hall of the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.

The Music
“The Art of Fugue” is a harpsichord piece consisting of 15 fugues placed in order of increasing complexity. The piece was left unfinished at the time of Bach’s death and was later published by his family. Steinbar and Carlson will perform the two-keyboard arrangement of the triple mirror fugue in gigue rhythm. In addition, they will perform two concertos for two harpsichords in c minor.

Last year, Steinbar coordinated a historic multi-harpsichord chamber recital of Bach concertos featuring four harpsichords. With Carlson now living in the Bemidji area, Steinbar is pleased to be able to present a Bach duo-harpsichord concert.

“J.S. Bach’s concerto literature for more than one keyboard is so musically rich and satisfying to both the listener and performer that it is a shame it is not performed more often,” said Steinbar, noting that Bach was a genius in writing fugal music and continues to be studied today by composers composing in this genre.

Deborah Steinbar
Deborah Steinbar is an adjunct faculty member of the BSU Department of Music and has given solo harpsichord concerts in the Bemidji area and performed with the Bemidji Headwaters Trio. She has appeared as a duo-pianist with Ms. Sara Bloom premiering works by women composers. She maintains a private keyboard studio in Bemidji and is a frequent adjudicator for area piano festivals. She will perform on her personally owned Italian harpsichord.

Sarah Carlson
Carlson is director of music ministry at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji and recently performed with the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra. Prior to coming to Bemidji, she was the director of music at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Darlington, S.C. She has appeared internationally at the Dom Kirke Music Festival in Kristiansand, Norway, and at an organ study program in Mexico City. She is an active soloist and recently gave a recital at St. Helena’s Episcopal Church in Beaufort, S.C., as part of their 2007 guest organ recital series and was a continuo player for the Baroque Orchestra at the 2005 International Baroque Institute at the Longy School of Music. At Coker College in Hartsville, S.C., Carlson was an adjunct professor of music and the accompanist for the Coker Singers and head of the Piano Division’s Preparatory School of Music. She will perform on the BSU owned French harpsichord.

For more information, please call the BSU Department of Music at (218) 755-2915.