Oxford Showcases Piano Like You've Never Seen It Played Before

He’s just 16-years-old and a three-time world champion on the piano.  Ole Miss will host Daniel Souvigny in concert on Friday, and music professor Ian Hominick says Souvigny’s playing is something to see.
“Any music lover will enjoy Daniel’s playing.  His concert will feature a broad range of early 20th Century music from blues, early ragtime & jazz to the more modern jazz styles,” Hominick said.  “He’s a master improviser and a sensitive musician.”
Souvigny is from Hampshire, Illinois and has earned the title of Junior Champion three times in the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest. In 2016 at the age of 15, he traveled to Oxford for the competition and became the youngest to ever earn second place in the adult division of the contest.
His first CD “Tearin’ Up the Keys” was released in 2013 and his latest album “Possibilities” came out in 2015. But Hominick says listening to Souvigny play is only half the fun.
“One of the qualities that immediately comes to mind when watching Daniel play is how efficiently he uses his physical technique to execute even the most difficult passages.  This allows him to focus on the music making process more so than many other performers who do not possess such a natural physical ease,” Hominick said.
Friday’s concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Nutt Auditorium and will concentrate primarily on ragtime and early jazz. Souvigny will also appear on the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour on Thursday night.
Advance tickets are available through the UM Box Office by calling (662) 915-7411. Tickets will also be available at the door on the night of the performance as space permits.
Hominick says this concert is a fundraiser for the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest & Festival taking place May 25-28 in Oxford, and he says it should be a lot of fun.
“The older generation who love the classics from the days of Tin Pan Alley & Vaudeville will love it, and, children and students will identify with someone their own age who can speak to them through his interpretations.”