College of the Ozarks to host duo recital Thursday, Feb. 6

Recital to feature violinist Andréa Picard Boecker, pianist Clara Christian

Point Lookout, MO. ­­­­­— College of the Ozarks will host world renowned violinist Andréa Picard Boecker and concert pianist Clara Christian, associate professor of music and director of the piano program at C of O, on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Newman Recital Hall in the Gittinger Music Building at College of the Ozarks.

Christian, who attended graduate school with Picard Boecker, said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to perform with Andréa Picard Boecker this February. The last time we got to collaborate was in 2018. She is a dedicated teacher, mom, and Christian. She also is a very talented performer, and it is such a joy to bring her to campus.”

“We are performing an all-French program which represents a variety of styles and time periods,” Christian said.

Program

Sonata No.2 in A Major, by Joseph Bologne, Chavelier de St.-Georges (1745-1799)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andantino

Sonata for Violin and Piano (1917), by Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

I.   Allegro vivo

II. Intermède: Fantasque et legér

III.   Finale: Tres animé

Intermission

Deux Morceaux Pour Violon et Piano, by Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)

I.   Nocturne (1911)

II. Cortège (1914)

Sonata No. 1 in A Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 13, by Gabriel Fauré  (1845-1924)

I.   Allegro molto

II. Andante

III.   Allegro vivo

IV.  Allegro quasi presto

About Andréa Picard Boecker

Andréa Picard Boecker is a recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher from Québec, Canada. She is an active performer in the Baltimore-Washington area and has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Picard Boecker serves on the chamber music faculty of Peabody Institute’s Conservatory and Preparatory Divisions and violin faculty at Towson and Susquehanna Universities. Additionally, she teaches at the Camp Musical des Laurentides and teaches masterclasses in France, Canada, and the United States.

Picard Boecker received the “Prix” with Highest Distinction at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montréal, where she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in violin performance and chamber music. She holds a master’s degree in performance and pedagogy from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where she was awarded the Josef Kaspar Award for Strings. Her primary teachers and influences have included Johanne Arel, Raymond Dessaints, Victor Danchenko, and Violaine Melançon.

About Clara Christian

Pianist Dr. Clara Christian is associate professor of music and director of the piano program at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. In addition to teaching applied piano, she teaches music history, piano pedagogy, piano literature, chamber music, and class piano. Before coming to College of the Ozarks, she was on the faculty at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Northwestern University's Music Academy (Evanston, Illinois). Dr. Christian has given solo recitals throughout North America as well as performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Strasbourg, France. She has performed in venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center, the “Jaani Kirik” Recital Series (St. Petersburg, Russia), and the Fourth Presbyterian “Fridays at Noon” Concert Series (Chicago, Illinois). She also served as rehearsal accompanist for the Chicago Master Singers from 2011-2014 and performs frequently as a collaborative artist. She is the pianist for “Fuse Trio,” which has performed nationally and internationally since forming in 2014.

For more information, contact the Public Relations Director, Valorie Coleman, at (417) 690-2212.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and fiscal responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2024. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Best of the Best Award 2024 and the Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.