Cahill Smith, a 2008 University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music graduate who is completing his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music, will present a recital in Carnegie Hall in New York on Oct. 27. Smith, originally from Montgomery, will make his Carnegie Hall debut with a program dedicated to Russian composer Nikolai Medtner. His performance will include some music Smith learned and performed while he was a UAB student, according to Professor of Piano Yakov Kasman, DMA, with whom Smith studied.“This is a huge honor for Cahill, and I think it also makes us proud,” Kasman said.
Smith will perform the all-Medtner program of solo piano, vocal and chamber music along with Yunjin Kim, soprano; Ji-Yeon Lee, violin; Hirono Sugimoto Borter, violin; Wendy Richman, viola; and Phillip Borter, cello. With the exception of a recital featuring Medtner’s vocal music in 1969, this concert is the first program at Carnegie Hall to survey his works since the composer’s own performance in 1930, according to the Carnegie Hall website.
Smith’s repertoire includes more than 20 compositions by Medtner. Committed to sharing music with the next generation, Smith has held three graduate teaching assistantships at the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the 2011-2012 Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He was recently inducted into the Phi Kappa Lambda honor society for his academic achievements and contributions to the musical community.