What to watch: An internationally accomplished pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall and concert halls worldwide is coming to Midland for two free concerts the first weekend in October. Longtime Midland pianist and music educator Steven Hopp will present “Music Around the World” at Midland College alongside his close friend and internationally touring pianist Yan Shen.

The concerts will be held Saturday, Oct. 3, at 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2:30 p.m. in the Wagner & Brown Auditorium in the Allison Fine Arts Building. Both are free and open to the public.

The big picture: Steven and Shen performed together in Midland last November, but their musical partnership began through Steven’s work with PianoWorks.

“I wanted to do something special when PianoWorks was privileged to become a dealer for Kawai pianos,” Steven said. “With the help of Kawai USA division I was introduced to Yan. We became fast friends and her first solo concert here soon turned into the opportunity for both of us to share the stage as soloists and duet performers.”

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Shen is a Shigeru Kawai Artist whose career has taken her to Carnegie Hall in New York City, Salle Cortot in France, Hong Kong City Hall, and concert halls throughout China. She has also performed at international music festivals and appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras.

Shen previously served as a tenured piano faculty member at the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music in China. She later earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano and an Artist Diploma in Solo Piano Performance from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where she now works.

Fanfare Magazine praised her solo album, FANTASY | SONATA | ELEGY, for its “clarity,” “sensitivity,” and “technical prowess.”

Shen will perform music by Bach-Busoni, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and three preludes by George Gershwin. She and Steven will also perform duets, while Steven will perform Spanish selections.

“It’s pure joy when you work with someone you love and respect,” Steven said.

Go deeper: For experienced classical music listeners, the concerts offer a chance to hear accomplished musicians close to home. For those who don’t normally attend classical performances, the free concerts offer an easy introduction to classical music, including for parents looking to expose their children to live performance.

Steven has spent more than two decades teaching piano in Midland and previously told The Permian Press that learning an instrument can counter the constant stimulation children get from screens. Piano requires concentration, repetition and patience, while seeing accomplished musicians perform gives children a chance to see where years of that work can lead.

Steven has also encouraged Midlanders to take advantage of opportunities to hear accomplished musicians when they come to West Texas, previously pointing to world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman’s 2023 performance at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center as the type of performance residents don’t have to travel to a major city to experience.

With no admission charge and two performances to choose from, “Music Around the World” gives adults, families, and young musicians a chance to experience live classical music close to home.