Two Wayne State College women put on a piano recital with an all-female body of work on Monday September 20th.
Angela Miller-Niles is the Associate Professor of Piano and the Music Department Chair. Shelly Armstrong, MME is Wayne State’s staff accompanist. Both performed in Ley Theatre.
Miller-Niles and Armstrong played pieces for two pianos written by women composers. Miriam Hyde’s Fantasia on Waltzing Matilda for two pianos, Dana Suesse’s Danza a Media Noche, and Zara Levina’s Concerto no. 1 arranged for two pianos.
Piano is an impressive craft, and what is more impressive is how long Professor Miller-Niles has been playing. “I started playing when I was 5 and haven’t stopped! I’ve always loved playing piano and music is an important part of my life.” Miller-Niles said.
It is inspiring to see and hear representation on the stage, whether it be a musical stage or a theatrical one. Playing a musical body of work written by women is a great example of the small ways that representation can be highlighted on stage. “I’ve been interested in works by women composers, and I enjoy playing two piano works with Mrs. Armstrong. All of the composers on the program were new to both of us, so it was fun to learn about new composers and learn new music.” Miller-Niles said.
There is a complete list of concerts, performances, and events from the music department on the Wayne State College website it can be visited at https://www.wsc.edu/music. The department also live streams concerts and recitals at https://www.wsc.edu/watch-live.