Accomplished Pianist Dedicates Concert to Long-time UAMS Employee
| Acclaimed pianist Richard Glazier delighted a full house as he paid tribute to the Gershwin brothers in “Gershwin: Remembrance and Discovery” on Sept. 28 at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.
“Richard is not simply a wonderful musician, which his awards and reputation attest to, he is a masterful storyteller,” said D. Micah Hester, Ph.D., chair of the College of Medicine’s Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, which co-sponsored the event. “The concert was a magnificent mixture of stories, images, video and music that is not often presented to classical and traditional music audiences.”
Glazier was only 9 when he first heard the music of George and Ira Gershwin in the movie, Girl Crazy. He was so enamored with the music, he wrote a fan letter to Ira Gershwin, setting up a three-year correspondence that culminated in a meeting between the two when Glazier was 12.
Cynthia DeHaven Pitcock, Ph.D., served as the medical historian at UAMS for more than 20 years and gave pianist Richard Glazier the idea for combining Gershwin songs with stories about the brothers’ lives. Pitcock died in 2016.
The concert paired rare arrangements of Gershwin songs with backstage stories about the lives of the talented songwriting brothers. This type of concert was the suggestion of the late Cythnia DeHaven Pitcock, Ph.D., a friend of Glazier’s and an assistant professor of the History of Medicine at UAMS. In fact, Glazier performed his first Gershwin show at UAMS. Pitcock died in 2016, and Glazier dedicated the Sept. 28 performance to her.
“Because of that concert more than 25 years ago, I have had the privilege of performing concerts with comments about the Gershwins in almost every state in the country,” Glazier said.
Hester said Glazier’s tribute to Pitcock was the highlight of the show, adding that the audience even sang a Gershwin tune in honor of her before Glazier ended with a piano-only version of “Rhapsody in Blue.”
In addition to the Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, the concert was sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System’s Arkansas Literary Festival, Arkansas Sounds concert series and the Society for the History of Medicine and the Health Professions.
Hester said there were several reasons why the department wanted to be a part of Glazier’s concert. First was the chance to honor Pitcock, who served as the medical historian at UAMS for more than 20 years. It was also an opportunity to build on important relationships that UAMS has with the community.
“Finally, the concert helps to remind us that human beings are more than just the biochemistry and cellular biology that makes up their bodies, and their well-being is enriched not through physiologic treatments alone,” he said. “Literature; history; philosophy; and the performing, creative and fine arts contribute to the fullness of a rich life.”