It’s two weeks until classical pianist William Westney will say ‘adieu’ as a faculty professor at Texas Tech College. But first, he made a pit-stop at Hillsdale for one of his final performances of his 41-year career.
“We look for these peak experiences in performing and you never know when it’s going to happen,” Westney said. “I don’t know how I could’ve had a better time, I swear it’s one of the best things I’ve done. I felt so good.”
On Oct. 31, Westney, a Fulbright recipient and concert pianist performed a variety of piano music in Markel Auditorium. From a 17th century Beethoven sonata to the pop-classical music of the 20th century Gershwin, the performance was stamped with character.
“Westney played with a beautiful integrity to his sound and carried off the Chopin with all the virtuosic flash that piece needs,” Katherine Rick, adjunct instructor of music, said.
She added that he showed an amazing depth of sound; each piece had its own personality.
“The Gershwin felt like it was a part of him,” Sophomore Britta De Groot said. “In lessons he talked about bringing out the ‘sexy harmonies,’ which he did in the Gershwin.”
Westney called this the “chemistry between the pieces.”
“I like to tinker with it, so I can produce an organic kind of experience for the audience,” Westney said.
After intermission he transitioned into the later eras of music, including pieces by George Gershwin and Frederic Chopin.
Junior Anne Ziegler said the Gershwin piece was her favorite.
“I thought that was the best piece on the program because he really brought out the different rhythms in Gershwin,” Ziegler said. “They were really clear, and I really liked how his depth played through. With Gershwin, it doesn’t have to be as clear with the rhythm, like you would in Beethoven. You can be rough around the edges, and I think he did that.”
After performing Grieg and Beethoven, Westney engaged the audience in a fascinating journey of rhythms, jazz and blues. Each ‘original arrangement’ exercised a different rhythm.
“I just remember thinking, ‘Wow that sounds really cool,’ and ‘I want to learn how to play that someday,’” Freshman Chloe Tritchka said.
A third of the pieces were familiar to him, Westney said. While Gershwin and the polonaise by Chopin were “touchstones” he’s returned to throughout the years, the Beethoven and Grieg were fresh pieces to him.
“These were all pieces I related to, that I love to practice, so that helps a lot,” Westney said. “They suit the way I’m feeling in my playing these days, and they fit my technique in my experience right now.”