Professional pianist Robert Satterlee has toured in Greece, Thailand and China this past year and will travel to Ohio State to perform today.

Satterlee, who more recently has performed in Romania, Sweden, Holland and Kenya, will continue his contemporary music tour at 8 p.m. in Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Road, on campus.

His concert feautures music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frédéric François Choplin and William Albright.

“In my concerts, I like to present a wide variety of music,” Satterlee said.
“My role as the performer is taking pieces from the past that are very, very special and presenting them as new and fresh.”

Mozart performed in the 18th century, Choplin in the 19th and Albright in the 20th.

“I really enjoy performing a lot, and I really love all the pieces that I play,” Satterlee said.

Satterlee is in his 36th year playing piano. He began at age 11.

His gift has allowed him to perform around the world while teaching piano as a professor at Bowling Green State University since 1998.

“It’s great to play concerts, but teaching has its own activities and its own challenges,” Satterlee said. “What I find most interesting about teaching is watching students learn and get better. To me that is very exciting, especially when someone makes a breakthrough.”

Satterlee, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and a doctorate from Yale, said it is very difficult to make a living as a pianist.

“It’s really interesting the career I have because as a pianist you can do a lot of different things,” Satterlee said. “Skills you get from playing the piano well are skills you can use throughout other areas of your life.”

Satterlee, who also holds a master’s degree from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, said he has been able to enjoy watching the improvement of his students.

“I learn a lot from my own students,” he said. “Things that they go through to overcome their own problems can actually help me with my own playing.”

Satterlee said he feels blessed to have some former students teaching and performing around the country.

He also said he always looks forward to performing in Columbus but was unable to in January due to weather.

Tickets will be available at the door, priced at $12 general admission and $6 senior citizens and students with ID.

More information will be available by contacting (614) 247-7036.

On Thursday, following the concert, Satterlee will offer a class that is free and open to the public at 12:30 p.m. in Weigel Auditorium.