MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile welcomes three-time old time piano world champion Bobby van Deusen as a guest artist for the 7th annual Alabama School of the Arts Piano Festival.
Van Deusen will perform a guest artist recital titled “Ragtime and Other Riches: A Ragtime Romp From 1902 to 2022” on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in UM’s Moorer Auditorium in Thomas T. Martin Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
The concert will include works from various composers such as Duke Ellington, Fredrick Chopin and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It will also feature the Mobile premiere of
“The BvD Rag” composed by Dr. Michael Coleman and dedicated to Bobby van Deusen himself.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Bobby van Deusen found his love for music by sitting at the family player piano. He graduated from Whetstone High School, one of the first schools to have their students declare majors, as a performance major. He studied at the collegiate level at both Capital University and Ohio State University.
His musical abilities have allowed him to travel around the world and all over the United States, including spending a year in Hawai’i aboard the SS Independence.
Van Deusen has performed with many New Orleans greats including Al Hit and the Dukes of Dixie Land. He also spent five years with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company as a “Riverboat Piano Player” and a calliopist.
With his immense talent, van Deusen reigns as the undefeated three-time winner in the “Old Time Piano Playing World Championships.”
He currently performs six nights a week at the Hilton Sandestin and is represented by Allied Concert Services, where he travels the country with his Prime Time Trio.
For more information on this event and future piano festival events, please visit umobile.edu/calendar or call the Alabama School of the Arts at 251.442.2383.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher
Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their
future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Gregory Naman is an intern in the Office of Marketing and Public Relations at the University of Mobile. He is a full-time student double-majoring in Communication with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations and Performance with a concentration in Acting. Greg can often be found playing pretend onstage in various Alabama School of the Arts productions and concerts. When school and work aren’t keeping him busy, he enjoys singing and dancing with his friends and going on sunset drives to nowhere.