USF chancellor rose early to fine-tune her skills on violin
The musician will join a soprano and pianist for a classical treat tonight at the Palladium Theater.
By MARY JANE PARK
Published September 29, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - When Karen White takes the stage at the Palladium Theater tonight, she will give her first public performance as a violinist since becoming head of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg in 2003.
The university chancellor; soprano Kay Lowe, who is on the faculty at USF Tampa; and pianist James Johnson, organist and choirmaster at All Saints Episcopal Church in Omaha, will perform works from Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Puccini and other artists.
Over the last year, White said, she has played for her own enjoyment but has not had the time to adequately prepare for a concert.
"That's why I couldn't do it when I immediately got here," she said. She likened her rehearsal to a long-distance race and said she spent the summer building an increasing amount of preparation time into her schedule.
"I've been averaging an hour to an hour and a half (of rehearsal) every morning," arising between 5 and 5:30, she said.
In early summer, her 88-year-old mother, Mary White, asked her: "How's your practicing going?"
White has frequent telephone conversations with her mother, who lives in Joplin, Mo., and said she fretted about having enough time.
"Now, dear, just get up an hour earlier," her mother counseled.
"Her solution to everything in life is to get up an hour earlier," White said. "And she's right."
More than a few bay area groups expressed interest in having her perform, White said, but Town and Gown was the first to ask.
"They benefit us so distinctly through scholarships, faculty research and the oceanography camp for girls. Historically, it's been a very important organization for the campus."
In her musical career, White often has been accompanied by Johnson, who is a Steinway artist and will play the Steinway recently purchased for the Palladium and dedicated to Paul Stavros, its inaugural executive director, last week.
"I would expect James practices three to four hours a day," White said. "That's when you're in the business full time.
"Normally, for a whole recital, we would have had to rehearse together for four to six weeks, although we're playing repertoire familiar to both of us. On a limited basis like this, where I'm doing only a third of a recital, I kind've had to accomplish everything within the time I have."
White is modest about her talent and tried to shift the focus to Johnson and Lowe.
Tonight's presentation, she said, is "a substantive program and a lot of fun. I don't like to play a lot of fluff. We're doing some interesting things at the end."
The Capriccio in b minor (Op. 2, No. 4), by Erno Dohnanyi, a Hungarian pianist who taught music and composition at Florida State University, "is a barn burner," she said.
IF YOU GO
Musical Conversations features Karen A. White, James Johnson and Kay Lowe. It honors University of South Florida Town and Gown. 7:30 tonight. Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Free. 553-4842.
