Keith Lay, Course Director for Music History at Full Sail Real World Education, has had his classical composition “On the Playground” selected by New York’s Riverside Symphony for an upcoming concert. The three-movement concerto will be performed on Friday, November 5th at the esteemed Lincoln Center in New York City.
Having a work showcased at the Lincoln Center is a great honor, as it has long been heralded as one of the world’s finest stages for classical music. “The Lincoln Center carries a lot of weight,” Lay says. “It’s a major venue for this art form, and to be featured there is an amazing accomplishment for a composer. It doesn’t happen to people to very often, and is certainly one of the highlights of my professional music career.” Lay has been composing and performing professionally for more than twenty years.
Anthony Korf, musical director for the Riverside Symphony, explained his decision to select “On the Playground” for the upcoming performance. “It was the quality of the music that drew us to it. There are many pieces that are lyrical that try to do what Keith accomplishes with this piece, and they’re much less successful. It seems his natural language is pretty easy to take, and I think it’s a credit to him that he can write something in a more traditional vein that still sounds genuine and fresh. It’s a lovely, well-crafted work.”
Lay is delighted by the encouragement of the Riverside Symphony, and is honored to have such a well-respected orchestra support his musical endeavors. “This Riverside Symphony only performs three concerts at Lincoln each year, and it’s a huge feeling of validation to know that they believe so strongly in my piece. For an orchestra of their stature who could pick anything to perform, it means that you’re recognized as a composer at a high level.”
Full Sail is honored to have been Keith’s professional home for the past fourteen years, and the entire staff would like to extend their congratulations on this recent accomplishment and dedication to his craft. For tickets and further information, please visit the Riverside Symphony website at www.riversidesymphony.org, or call 212-864-4197.