Piano concert comes to PVCC

Composer Peter George is returning to his first love after 35 years away from the piano. George has always loved the piano, which he considers to be a "virtual orchestra", but had to set his passion aside while pursuing a successful career as a front-of-house sound engineer.

Finally, according to George, it was time to get back on the bench. "Every moment it was eating at me to get back to the piano," George said of the decision to pursue his interest in using the piano to go through a story and create a "musical adventure" that George describes as "beyond jazz".

In addition to George's original works, he will also be performing a patriotic piece entitled, "Freedom in the Wind", based in part on "The Star Spangled Banner", and "Chasing Rainbows", inspired by the Wizard of Oz signature piece, "Somewhere over the Rainbow", which George says is about "struggling and finding success".

George describes his music as a mix between the stylings of Victor Borgas and Liberace but that his highly technical yet improvisational style is like driving a race car in an off-road race instead of on a track because while his compositions are highly organized he likes to respond to the reactions of the audience and steer the performance, and the story, in that direction.

George will be performing a Mother's Day Eve Piano Concert at 6 p.m., May 9 at the Platte Valley Community Center.

Doors will be open at 5 p.m. for a cash bar and free hors d'oeuvres. Admission is $15 at the door and children 13 and younger will be admitted free. For more information, call 307-321-3314.