Music faculty to perform Nov. 15 at Bellingham's Meridian High School

Mike Allen and Miles Black, faculty members of Western Washington University’s Department of Music, will be featured in a special evening of jazz and classical music at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 in Meridian High School’s recently updated auditorium at 194 West Laurel Rd. in Bellingham.

Hosted by Meridian High School and Sherman Clay Pianos, the evening is a celebration of Meridian’s recent acquisition of a new Boston Grand Piano designed by Steinway & Sons. The performance is free and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Boston piano was created specifically by Steinway to meet the needs of colleges and universities, music teachers, churches, and schools and incorporates many of the patents and designs of the world-famous Steinway piano.

Besides Allen and Black, a WWU senior classical piano major will be selected to perform through a special competition at WWU.

Allen is a Toronto-born saxophonist who started his professional career in Montreal after graduating from McGill University’s distinguished Jazz Performance program. Beyond touring and recording multiple albums, Allen’s own quartet toured Poland and shared the stage with Kenny Garrett and other members of Miles Davis’ band at the Warsaw Jazz Jamboree in 1988. Allen also lived in New York City where he studied privately with saxophone-great Joe Lovano and later earned a master’s degree in Jazz Performance at New York University. Since 1995, Allen has released 11 albums as a leader on his own label – Almus Jazz – and is currently the director of Jazz Studies at Western.

Black, the current guest artist at Western, began his professional music career in Victoria, British Columbia, at the age of 14. Currently based in Vancouver, B.C., Black has a wealth of musical experience as an arranger, producer, composer, session musician, guitarist, bassist, saxophonist, songwriter, musical theatre director, music therapist and college level music instructor. He has performance on countless albums and has played with many music greats around the world.

For more event details, please contact Vic Geiger, director of Institutional Sales for Sherman Clay Pianos, at (480) 280-4454.