Shepherd School flutist to appear on American Public Media program Jan. 28-30

Doctoral flute student Aaron Perdue was recently selected to represent Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a part of American Public Media’s “Performance Today” Young Artists in Residence Series. The segments will be broadcast on Houston Pulic Media Classical 91.7 Jan. 28-30 at 10 a.m. daily and will be available online at http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/display/web/2015/01/28/young-artist-in-residence-aaron-purdue.

AARON PERDUE (Photo credit: Richie Hawley)

“Performance Today,” a popular classical music radio program, is broadcast on 292 public radio stations across the country and reaches approximately 1.4 million listeners each week.

Last fall, Perdue traveled to the public radio studio in St. Paul, Minn., for a series of recording sessions with “Performance Today” host Fred Child. The program’s Young Artists Series invites musicians from the top American conservatories to participate in a weeklong residency, where they perform and discuss their backgrounds, ambitions and what it means to be a musician.

“Having the opportunity to play on ‘Performance Today’ was an incredible experience and something I will remember for the rest of my life,” Perdue said. “I grew up listening to the show, and meeting Fred Child and conversing with him in person was thrilling.”

Perdue performed 20th-century works by American composers, including Aaron Copland, Robert Beaser, Lukas Foss, Samuel Barber and Lowell Liebermann. He collaborated with Shepherd School doctoral piano student Chris McKiggan for the recording sessions.

“Chris and I have worked together on several projects, and he was very supportive throughout the trip and preparation leading up to it,” Perdue said.

Aaron Perdue and Chris McKiggan with "Performance Today" host Fred Child

Perdue has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra member throughout the United States in famous venues such as the Kennedy Center, Severance Hall and Carnegie Hall. His summer experiences have included performances and fellowships at Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra and Spoleto Festival USA. In Houston he was a Da Camera Young Artist for two years and performed throughout the city in concert halls, museums and schools.

Perdue has a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree from Rice, where he is currently pursuing his doctorate as a student of Leone Buyse, the Joseph and Ida K. Mullen Professor of Flute. He also teaches a private studio of 10 students. More information on Perdue can be found at www.aaronperdue.com.

This is the third year of the Shepherd School’s participation in the public radio program. To hear the 2013 sessions with cellist Coleman Itzkoff, visit http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/02/25/coleman_itzkoff-yar. To hear the 2014 sessions with Boson Mo, visit http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/display/web/2014/05/14/young-artist-in-residence-boson-mo.

For the “Performance Today” schedule and program information, visit www.classical917.org/kuha.php.