Piano concert set for Saturday night

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

Growing up in Wytheville, Bryan Underwood learned that exposure to first-rate local musical events was severely lacking. He is bringing his considerable talents to a piano concert Saturday evening to benefit an organization dedicated to providing fine arts experiences to Wythe County students.
“Seasons,” featuring Underwood, will be held Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Evansham Ballroom of the Wytheville Meeting Center. Adult tickets are $25 while student tickets are $10 and are available at Wytheville Office Supply, Wordsprint and Wythe County Community Hospital.
“I believe in the P.L.A.Y. Fund,” Underwood stated by phone Monday morning. “I grew up here and I know what it was like not having many live performances. The organization is near and dear to me.”
The P.L.A.Y. Fund is the fine arts subcommittee of the Wythe County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence. The foundation partners with the community to enhance education in the local school system.
The P.L.A.Y. Fund brings professionally produced plays and concerts to the area, coordinating with the Wythe County schools to provide these experiences to all students. The group also coordinates the Wythe Music Initiative, offering local stringed instrument lessons and tuition scholarship assistance.
This will be Underwood’s second concert for the P.L.A.Y Fund. He performed in late October last year.
“That’s when I first learned about the organization,” Underwood noted. “It’s just a great cause. I warmed up to it immediately. I don’t get back here that often and this is a great opportunity.”
His “Seasons” concert will span special times of the year. Selections will include Siding’s “Rustle of Spring,” Claire d’Lune” by Debussey, Brickman’s “Thanksgiving” and selections from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.”
“I sent in the program of music I want to do,” remarked Underwood, director of music and worship at Discovery United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Ala. “I am really impressed with the Wytheville Meeting Center. It’s awesome.”
Developing a love of music at an early age, he listened to hymns at church and came home to play them on his grandmother’s piano as lunch was prepared. He lists Lala Bare, Mary Woods and Mike and Karen Green as musical influences.
Underwood began his first church music job as associate director of music at Greenwood United Methodist Church in Bluefield, W.Va., while a junior in high school. After graduating Bland High School, he enrolled at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.
As a member of the Westminster Choir, Underwood performed at Radio City Music Hall, the Met and Philadelphia’s Academy of Music. Since then, he served several churches in music ministry, including St. Paul United Methodist Church in Wytheville.
“I’ll rehearse some this week,” Underwood said. “I always get nervous before I play.”
Wythe County Community Hospital is host sponsor for Saturday’s concert. Other sponsors are Eric and Rives Deaton, Paul and Jennifer Morin, MTC Transformers, Carolyn Sanders, Bill and Farron Smith, and Bruce and Caroline Stephens.
Coffee and dessert will be served after the concert.
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or wquesenberry@wythenews.com.