KEIKO KIRCHER

AGE 41  I  CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS  I  JAPAN/UNITED STATES
COLLEGE PHYSICS INSTRUCTOR

A physics lecturer at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at Parkland College, Dr. Keiko Kircher likes to make her physics lectures be full of music, one example being the use of Mussorgsky being pulled by a string that is wrapped around a rotatable solid sphere while he enjoys pictures at an exhibition in a museum. Keiko began learning music by playing electric organ (called the “electone” in Japan) and switched to the piano at 19. After taking some time away from the instrument while her kids were young and colicky, Keiko returned and now enjoys taking part in amateur competitions—including the 2016 Cliburn—because they motivate her to learn new music, to performance level (whether she is successful or not), and she enjoys getting to know other competitors. She also very much enjoys dog training. Now that her precious dog Neutrina knows how to play the piano, she is taking care of Neutrina extremely well with lots of love so that Neutrina can reach age 35 and enter Cliburn Amateur then.

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

ALBÉNIZ Asturias (Leyenda)
KORCHMAR Piano Cycles 1–3
BARGIEL “Präludium” from Suite No. 2 for Piano, op. 31

Semifinal Round 

ALBÉNIZ “Triana” from Iberia, Book II
RACHMANINOV Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op. 42

Final Round 

SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto No. 2 in F Major, op. 102 (I)