Showcase Series features acclaimed instrumentalist Ray Ushikubo

Grove City College’s Showcase Series presents acclaimed pianist and violinist Ray Ushikubo at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 in Ketler Auditorium of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus.

Tickets are now available here.

Ushikubo made his orchestral debut at age 10 playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and now, in his early 20s, he is a sought after soloist, performing with major orchestras across the nation.

Known for his “disciplined focus and clarity … and marvelous dynamic nuance,” Ushikubo will be accompanying himself during the Showcase concert thanks to a Steinway Spirio R piano, a high tech player piano.

“It is going to be an incredible demonstration of musical excellence, but also the integration of technology with acoustic music,” said Dr. Jeffrey Tedford, chair of the Department of Music, which curates the Showcase Series.

“There are mechanics on this particular piano, which is essentially an acoustic piano with a computer and additional mechanics that allow a player to record themselves and recreate the performance. The pedals move, the keys move, and all of it moves to the exact degree that the performer recorded. It is incredibly precise,” Tedford said.

The concert is presented in partnership with the Fort Pitt Piano Company and Steinway and Sons.

“I am thrilled that we are able to bring Ray to campus to share his talents with our community as well as demonstrate the innovation that exists with the Steinway Corporation,” he said.

Ushikubo has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall, appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, is the recipient of the prestigious Davidson Fellow Laureate Award, named a Young Steinway Artist, and was a prize-winner at the 2023 Klein International String Competition. He received his bachelor’s degrees at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied piano and violin, a rare achievement at the institute.

The Showcase Series brings creative and cultural offerings to campus each year for student and community enjoyment. The performances are curated by the College’s Department of Music and highlight the arts as an integral part of the Grove City College experience.

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