UA Little Rock Student Completes Prestigious Summer Music Program at Colby College
Stephen Graham, a piano performance major from Benton, is starting his junior year on a high note after spending his summer completing a highly competitive contemporary and classical music program.
Graham participated in the Atlantic Music Festival at Colby College, which took place in Waterville, Maine, from June 26 to Aug. 8. The Atlantic Music Festival brings promising young musicians from all over the world together to perform music, learn from established masters, and harness their full artistic potential in a supportive and idyllic setting.
“When I saw the acceptance letter, it was exhilarating,” Graham recalls. “I applied to multiple festivals. This was the most prestigious, and I didn’t think I would be accepted. The whole experience was definitely exciting.”
The festival, which began at Colby College in 2009, brings together student musicians and professionals to play dozens of concerts around campus and in the community. The concert series is broken up into five divisions: chamber music, full orchestra, composition, conducting, and opera. Graham participated in the chamber division, performing with a piano trio.
While there were about 150 students attending the festival, Graham was one of only about 10 piano students. He got the opportunity to study with a dozen professors from institutions like the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music, and the Eastman School of Music.
“It’s quite a competitive program, and the professors there are world renowned,” Graham said. “It was definitely an inspiring, memorable experience. I also made friends from all over the country and the world, including France, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, China, and Japan.”
Graham has been studying piano for the past eight years, most recently with Dr. Naoki Hakutani at UA Little Rock, but freely admits it wasn’t his idea.
“My grandmother made me take piano lessons,” Graham said. “I didn’t want to at all. Almost immediately, I enjoyed the lessons, and I was told I was gifted. I kept going and now I’m where I am now.”
Graham will graduate from UA Little Rock in 2025. Afterwards, he wants to pursue a master’s degree in piano performance, hopefully with one of the professors he met during the Atlantic Music Festival.
“My favorite part of the program was the friends I made, the professors I met, and the inspiration and insights that I received during my private lessons,” Graham said. “I made connections with amazing professors from all over the country and the world. I would like to study with some of these professors in the future.”
