Musician Ed Epstein, who has played in Broadway musicals and as a CBS studio musician for the Arthur Godfrey Show, will perform an improvised piano concert Feb. 25 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
“A Songbook of 20th Century Music” will start at 11:30 a.m. in the KOA Speer Electronics Lobby of Blaisdell Hall. The free Noon Tunes series concert is part of the university’s Spectrum Series.
“It’s difficult to predict the music he’ll treat us to during the Noon Tunes concert, but I think it’s safe to say that his roots in jazz and musical theater will come through,” said Dr. John Levey, assistant professor of music at Pitt-Bradford.
“I think there will be a few surprises, too. Dr. Epstein has internalized a vast amount of repertoire, and it will be exciting to discover what he has planned for the audience.”
A Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Epstein began tickling the ivories at age 4, with having lessons twice a week until he was 15. At 8 years of age, he began studying the trumpet.
He began playing professionally while he was still in school. With four friends, Epstein joined a band and performed at a church in the Flatbush area each Saturday night during a time the regular band was on a hiatus. Two years later, Epstein’s band became the main band.
Epstein also worked as a rehearsal pianist for a Broadway show. His experience also includes working as a studio musician for CBS until he was 23 years old. During the stint at CBS, Epstein played trumpet for the Arthur Godfrey Show.
After studying trumpet under Ellie Frankel, who performed on the Merv Griffin Show, Epstein played mostly jazz. He performed in two Broadway shows and at the Broadway Moose Lodge.
“This helped me get work that put me through college,” Epstein said. “The Vietnam War and the draft sort of ended all of that, but I never stopped playing and keeping in touch with my colleagues. I went to New York and played once in awhile, and always arranged, composed and fixed scores for movies.”
More information about the Spectrum Series is available by contacting Patty Colosimo, assistant director of arts programming, at (814) 362-5155.
For disability-related needs, contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services at (814) 362-7609 or arj4@pitt.edu.
