Augustana College hosts the Eighth Biennial Lee Piano Competition on Saturday, April 27, in memory of the late J. Earl Lee and Clara Lee, two esteemed Augustana professors. The Lee Piano Competition is a biennial competition for pianists held on the Augustana College campus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The competition is held in honor of the late J. Earl Lee and his wife, the late Clara Lee. J. Earl Lee was a professor of music at Augustana College from 1931 to 1991, serving as chair of the music department for 20 years. Clara Lee was a professor of speech at Augustana College from 1952 to 1991. J. Earl helped found the Sioux Falls Community Concert Association in 1935. In 1958, Clara Lee was chosen Debate Coach of the Year by a national speech honorary society. The Lee Piano Competition is funded through the generous gifts of Karl O. Lee and his mother, Agnes Lee. Augustana College is grateful for this support and for the lasting recognition given to the legacy of J. Earl Lee and Clara Lee.
Opening the competition will be a recital featuring competition guest artist Dr. Steven Spooner, Concert Pianist and Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Kansas. The recital is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, in Kresge Recital Hall on the Augustana College campus. Competition preliminaries will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, and continue until 5 p.m. The final competition round begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature the top performers from each of three divisions: Division 1 (grades 4-6), Division II (grades 7-9), and Division III (grades 10-12). Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony beginning at 8:30 p.m.
