Upcoming events at Monmouth College
Mark Valenti to present piano recital; Great Decisions on the Middle East
Monmouth, IL (02/08/2019) —
Chicago pianist Mark Valenti to perform Feb. 15 at Monmouth College
A "gifted pianist" from Chicago will be on Monmouth College's campus Feb. 15-16 to present a concert and share his expertise with students.
Mark Valenti will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Kasch Performance Hall of Dahl Chapel and Auditorium. He will play pieces by Beethoven, Stravinksy, Debussy and Chopin.
"Mark Valenti is a very gifted pianist," said Monmouth music professor Tim Pahel. "In addition to his concert, he will give a masterclass the next day at 10 a.m., working with some of our piano students."
Both the concert and the masterclass are free and open to the public.
Formerly a music professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, St. Xavier (Ill.) University and the Loire Valley Music Institute in France, Valenti teaches at his studio in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.
Valenti has performed solo recitals in France, Belgium, Hungary and Luxembourg as well as in several U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C. where he played for former First Lady Barbara Bush. He's also done live recitals on WFMT-FM classical radio.
In addition to classical music, Valenti has extensive experience playing jazz piano, including performances with Gregory Hines, Frank Foster and Al Grey. He has appeared on television with Joe Sudler's Swing Machine and singer/actor Christopher Durham.
Valenti received his master's degree in music from Northwestern University and his bachelor's degree from the Philadelphia Musical Academy. He has studied with such notable teachers as Benjamin Whitten, Zoltan Kocsis and Mary Sauer.
Monmouth's Kuppinger to lead Feb. 13 Great Decisions discussion on Middle East
Monmouth College anthropology professor Petra Kuppinger will take a closer look at the volatile Middle East when she leads a Great Decisions discussion at Monmouth College on Feb. 13.
Kuppinger will introduce the topic at 7:30 p.m. in Room 276 of the College's Center for Science and Business.
The administration of President Donald Trump has aligned itself with strongmen in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which along with Israel have a common goal of frustrating Iranian expansion.
Kuppinger and the Great Decisions group will attempt to answer such questions as: What will be the fallout from policy reversals such as withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear accord and moving the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem? Does the U.S. see a path forward in troubled states such as Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq? Is the U.S. headed toward war with Iran?
Called "America's largest discussion program on world affairs," Great Decisions is a nationwide program sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental association that works to increase Americans' understanding of foreign policy issues.
Media Attachments
