The Augustana University School of Music (SoM) is excited to announce its 2025 J. Earl Lee Piano Festival — taking place from Feb. 27 - March 1, on Augustana’s campus.
“The Augustana University School of Music is proud to honor the legacy of Dr. J. Earl Lee with this year’s festival. The event kicks off with a piano recital by internationally acclaimed pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, followed by an international competition for young pianists on Feb. 28 and March 1. The festival concludes with Bavouzet's performance alongside the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra,” said Dean of the Augustana School of Music Dr. Peter Folliard.
Bavouzet, an award-winning pianist, has enjoyed a prolific recording and international concert career. He regularly works with the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Symphony and London Philharmonic orchestras, Budapest Festival Orchestra, NHK, Seoul Philharmonic, Taiwan Philharmonic and collaborates with many renowned conductors.
Bavouzet has worked closely with Sir Georg Solti, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Zoltan Kocsis, György Kurtág, Maurice Ohana, Bruno Mantovani and Jörg Widmann and is a champion of lesser-known French music, notably that of Gabriel Pierné and Albéric Magnard. He is the international chair in piano at the Royal Northern College of Music and an advisory board member of the Pianofest in The Hamptons. In 2012, he was ICMA Artist of the Year and in 2008, he was awarded Beijing’s first-ever Elite Prize for his Beethoven complete sonata series.
“The J. Earl Lee Pre-College Piano Competition strives to provide students ages 13 to 18 with performing opportunities, and raise the standard of excellence of young pianists. This is an international competition where students receive feedback in a competitive environment,” said Folliard.
As part of the festival, Bavouzet will perform a recital at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Hamre Recital Hall in the Fryxell Humanities Center. Following the recital, the School of Music will host a reception in the Halverson Atrium.
Prospective students and current AU students will also have the opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal with Bavouzet on Saturday, March 1, at the Washington Pavilion, before his concert with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the 2025 J. Earl Lee Festival and to purchase tickets, visit augie.edu/LeePianoFestival.
About the J. Earl Lee Piano Festival
For more than a decade, Augustana University has hosted a biannual piano festival held in honor of Dr. J. Earl Lee and his wife, Dr. Clara Lee ‘39, professors emeriti of music and speech. The festival has been funded by the generous and longstanding estate gifts of Karl O. Lee and his mother, Augustana 1908 alumna Agnes Lee.