UAB Briefs: R&B star, big game for Blazers, piano artist
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention? Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
LEGENDARY STAR
Brian McKnight, a contemporary rhythm and blues musician with 16 Grammy Award nominations, will perform at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m.
A singer, songwriter and producer, McKnight is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments.
He’s released 19 albums over the past 25 years and sold more than 30 million units.
His latest studio album, “Genesis,” was released in August 2017.
Tickets are $67, $77 and $87. VIP dinner packages with premium seating are also available.
For tickets and information, including discounts for ASC members and UAB staff, students and faculty, call 975-2787 or visit alysstephens.org.
BIG GAME
The UAB football squad will celebrate homecoming by taking on the North Texas Mean Green at Legion Field on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Rarely in the history of its program have the Blazers played a bigger name.
If they beat North Texas, UAB would all but clinch the West Division of Conference USA.
UAB is also 5-1, matching their best start ever.
The Mean Green, coming off a 27-24 win over UTEP, is 5-1 for the season.
In a road trip to Houston, Texas, last weekend, the Blazers pounded Rice 42-0, handing the Owls their first shutout in 210 games.
AL.com called it UAB’s best performance of the season.
Rice's coach Mike Bloomgren said that the Blazers “are the class of Conference USA and they played like it,” according to Chron.com.
UAB also notched an impressive win on the road on Oct. 6 against Louisiana Tech, which gave LSU quite a battle in September.
KEYBOARD ARTISTRY
Acclaimed Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak will perform at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m., as part of the UAB Piano Series.
The concert will be held in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall at the ASC.
Gulyak, who has performed with dozens of orchestras around the world, is to play selections by Bach-Busoni, Clementi, Franck-Bauer, Wagner-Liszt and Ravel.
A professor of piano at the London Royal College of Music, Gulyak was awarded the first prize and the Princess Mary Gold Medal in 2009 at the 16th Leeds International Piano Competition — the first woman in the history of the competition to achieve this distinction.
The UAB Piano Series, presented by the UAB Department of Music, brings the world’s finest pianists to Birmingham.
Yakov Kasman, a professor of piano and artist-in-residence at UAB and a Van Cliburn medalist, Kasman directs the series.
General admission tickets for Gulyak’s consent are $15. Tickets are $5 for students through grade 12 and UAB employees, and free for UAB students.
Call 975-2787 or go to alysstephens.org for tickets.
For more information, call 934-7376 or go to uab.edu/cas/music.