Praised by critics for his passionate expression and dazzling technique, pianist Andrew Armstrong has delighted audiences around the world. He will return to Edmond Town Hall on Sunday, November 17, at 3 pm, for another much anticipated piano recital sponsored by Newtown Friends of Music. Mr Armstrong will cede 12 minutes of his recital time to young harp virtuoso Alix Raspé, who charmed Newtown audiences when she appeared on the stage of Edmond Town Hall in “A Concert To Heal” on January 13.

Admired as a concerto soloist, chamber musician and recitalist, internationally acclaimed pianist Andrew Armstrong is a native of New Canaan. He began studying the piano at age 7 and entered regional competitions.

In his freshman year, he entered the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, where he won a Special Award, as well as accolades from Cliburn himself. Before beginning his career as a concert pianist, Armstrong received over 25 national and international First Prizes.

He has appeared with many orchestras in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and played at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Kennedy Center, and Warsaw’s National Philharmonic. With a repertoire of more than 35 piano concertos, Mr Armstrong has performed works from the Baroque era to the modern period, and shown his abilities in chamber music performances with the Alexander, American, and Manhattan String Quartets and, most recently, with Amelia Piano Trio.

Harpist Alix Raspé has been a student of the harp since age 8, and has been described as a spellbinding performer. She is currently majoring in harp performance, and also minoring in child and adolescent mental health studies, at New York University.

In 2007 she won the Annapolis Music Festival Maestro Award as Outstanding Soloist. She has performed in Juilliard’s Paul Hall and Morse Hall, along with Alice Tully Hall and Symphony Space. She also participated in summer festivals like the Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, MusicAlp, Saratoga Harp Colony, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, and Interlochen Arts Camp.

She has been teaching several young harpists and flutists ensemble skills at Elyrica Summer Harp and Flute Camp Academy. In addition, Ms Raspé founded her own group for young harpists called MetroHarp Young Harpists Alliance, a stem of the metropolitan harp organization MetroHarp.

The November concert will include works of Bartok, Schumann, Faure, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Liszt, and Chopin.

Tickets are $25, cash or check only, and will be available at the town hall box office beginning at 2 pm the afternoon of the performance. Students K-12 are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. College students with a valid student ID are also welcome and may attend the concert for free.

Tickets may be purchased in advance by sending check and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Newtown Friends of Music, PO Box 295, Newtown CT 06470-0295. Tickets will be reserved on a first come/first served basis.

Parking is free behind Edmond Town Hall and the facility is handicapped accessible. An elevator takes patrons to all three floors of the building.  An informal reception following the concert will offer concert goers the opportunity to meet and mingle with the musicians.

For information regarding this and other concerts and to print out an order form, visit www.newtownfriendsofmusic.org. For even more information call 203-426-6470.