Sweet Briar Pianist Reunites with Teacher for Fringe Festival Performance

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Barry Snyder Rebecca McCord

Professor Rebecca McCord was on Sweet Briar College’s inaugural Fringe Festival schedule to perform a solo piano concert at 3 p.m. Feb. 2 in Memorial Chapel. But in one of those happy last-minute turns of events, she will be joined by her former teacher at the Eastman School of Music, Barry Snyder.

McCord studied with Snyder while working on her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School. Later, after many years establishing her own teaching and performing career, she worked with Snyder again as a post-doctoral fellow at Eastman.

“Each time, I am more appreciative of his knowledge, musicianship and technical prowess,” McCord said. “He is a phenomenal pianist and teacher and it’s a real privilege to have him join me on this concert.”

The pair has decided on a program that includes Hungarian dances by Johannes Brahms, and four-hand suites by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Anton Arensky, Gabriel Fauré and Georges Bizet.

Snyder, who is a professor of piano at Eastman, has performed all over the world, and is noted for his collaborations. Through his award-winning career, he has made 32 solo, concerto and chamber recordings on numerous labels.

Apart from having such an accomplished pianist visit Sweet Briar, McCord is excited about performing with her teacher and friend. “We know we will have fun playing four-hand music on Sweet Briar’s new Schimmel grand,” she said. “We hope that the Fringe Festival audience will enjoy hearing the exciting repertoire that we’ve chosen for them.”

The concert is part of the extensive lineup of performing and visual arts planned for Sweet Briar’s first Fringe Festival, which will be held from Thursday, Jan. 31 through Sunday, Feb. 3. With one exception, all festival shows – more than 25 in all – are free and no tickets are required.

The exception is the final performance, at 3 p.m. Feb. 3 in Memorial Chapel, by Quink, an internationally acclaimed five-member a cappela group from the Netherlands. Tickets for this Babcock Season event are $10, $7 for seniors and $5 for children 12 and older. Children younger than 12 and all members of the SBC community will be admitted free. Tickets go on sale Jan. 21 and may be reserved by calling 381-6120.

For more information and a complete schedule of Fringe Festival performances and exhibits, please visit www.fringefestival.sbc.edu.