Released: September 3, 2010
Lincoln, Neb. - The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced that Paul Barnes has been named Hixson-Lied Professor of Piano beginning this fall.
"Paul's artistic and other professional achievements since joining the School of Music faculty have brought significant recognition to the College and to UNL," said Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Endowed Dean Giacomo Oliva. "His selection as a Hixson-Lied Professor is a most appropriate way to bring attention to all that he has accomplished."
The Hixson-Lied Professorship program recognizes the work of the most outstanding faculty in the UNL Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. Supported by a grant from the Hixson-Lied Endowment, the professorships are limited to tenured faculty at the rank of associate or full professor, who do not already hold a named professorship and who have demonstrated exceptional or overall performance over an extended time frame and whose accomplishments have gained significant recognition beyond the University.
Hixson-Lied Professorships are awarded for a three-year term and can be re-nominated for a second, consecutive three-year term. These professorships carry a $3,000 annual stipend that can be used to augment the recipient's salary or to support the recipient's creative or scholarly work.
Barnes is the seventh Hixson-Lied Professor named in the College. The other Hixson-Lied Professors include Christin Mamiya, Hixson-Lied Professor of Art History; Gail Kendall, Hixson-Lied Professor of Art; William Grange, Hixson-Lied Professor of Theatre; Peter Pinnell, Hixson-Lied Professor of Art; Peter Lefferts, Hixson-Lied Professor of Music; and William Shomos, Hixson-Lied Professor of Voice and Director of Opera.
Barnes is professor and co-chair of piano in the UNL School of Music. He teaches during the summer at the Bösendorfer International Piano Academy in Vienna. In great demand as a pedagogue and clinician, Barnes has served as a convention artist at several state Music Teacher National Association conventions. He was named "Teacher of the Year" by the Nebraska Music Teachers Association at their 2006 state convention.
Deeply inspired by the aesthetic challenge of minimalism, Barnes gave the world premier performance of Philip Glass's Piano Concerto No. 2 (After Lewis and Clark) with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra under Victor Yampolsky in 2004. He has been featured four times on American Public Media's Performance Today and on the cover of Clavier Magazine. He has recently performed in England, China, Korea, Russia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Greece and in all major cities throughout the U.S.
His eleventh CD, "The American Virtuoso," featuring the music of Philip Glass, Samuel Barber, and Joan Tower, was released in February of 2008 to much critical acclaim.
Barnes hosted the 2005 and 2010 American Liszt Society Festivals at UNL.
For more information, visit our Hixson-Lied Professorship page, or read more about Paul Barnes on his personal website.