Words and Music Series with Scott Watkins

Scott Watkins, Professor of Music at Jacksonville University, will talk about American composer Howard Hanson and will perform his “Three Etudes, Op. 18” as part of the presentation.

Dr. Watkins is a nationally recognized scholar on the early life and music of this important American composer, conductor, and educator, and his talk will include many never-before-seen photographs and other ephemera related to Hanson’s early career. Hanson himself performed his “Three Etudes” for the King of Italy in 1922 in Rome – what Hanson was doing in Rome in 1922, and how his “Etudes” got to be played for King Vittorio Emanuelle III is a fascinating story of chance and determination.

Watkins has lectured on Hanson’s life and work for the College Music Society annual conferences in Rochester, Vancouver, Memphis, and San Antonio, and has performed many of Hanson’s works internationally. Watkins is the editor of Hanson’s “Symphonic Rhapsody for solo piano, Op. 14,” recently published by Carl Fischer Music. Scott Watkins gave the New York premiere performance of Howard Hanson’s Piano Sonata, Op. 11, in 2015 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and released the world premiere recording of the complete work in 2014.

The Waterworks is available through the generosity of the City of St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.