FSU Student Samuel Wade to Present Senior Piano Recital “Reflections”

FSU Student Samuel Wade to Present Senior Piano Recital "Reflections"

Apr 15, 2026 8:00 AM

Frostburg State University's Department of Music, Theatre, and is pleased to announce the senior recital of pianist Samuel Wade, titled "Reflections". The performance will take place on Friday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU's Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The recital is free and open to the public and will also be live-streamed. Viewers can access the live stream by visiting https://www.frostburg.edu/concerts.

Wade, a Bachelor of Science in Music candidate, will perform a program of beloved works from the piano repertoire, guided by FSU piano instructor Dr. Jay DeWire. The selections span the expressive depth of Romanticism, the structural clarity of the Classical era, Baroque elegance and Impressionist atmosphere.

Opening the program is the deeply melancholic and introspective work "Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 No. 1" by Frédéric Chopin that is characterized by an obsessive, circling main theme that conveys a sense of fate or destiny. The piece features a dramatic middle section of turbulent octaves before returning to a quiet, resigned close. Wade follows this with one of Beethoven's lighter and more witty early sonatas, "Piano Sonata, Op. 14 No. 2" (often called Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major). This three-movement work blends Classical elegance with playful humor. It includes a graceful first movement, a charming theme-and-variations second movement, and a lively scherzo finale.

Wade opens the second half of the program with Bach's graceful and elegant Baroque dance suite "French Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814". The suite alternates seductive melodic lines with brilliant virtuosity, showcasing Bach's mastery of keyboard writing in a refined, dance-inspired style. The recital concludes with Debussy's "Préludes, Livre 1" (X. La cathédrale engloutie), a quintessential Impressionist masterpiece inspired by the Breton legend of a sunken cathedral that rises from the sea on clear days. The piece vividly evokes misty atmospheres, distant bells, chanting voices, and massive organ-like chords, building to a majestic climax before sinking back into silence.

This recital represents a major milestone for Wade as he prepares to graduate from on May 21 with a Bachelor of Science in Music. A 2019 graduate of Bowie High School, Wade is the son of Kenneth and Sandra Wade of Bowie, Md. Following graduation, he plans to continue his studies in FSU's Master of Arts in Teaching - music program with the goal of becoming a music teacher. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

For more information about the recital or the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, call 301-687-4109 or email [email protected]. Additional details on FSU concerts and live streams are available at https://www.frostburg.edu/concerts.