Northern Michigan University faculty member Theresa Camilli will discuss and premiere the late piano teacher and Marquette resident William Weber's "Lake Superior Piano Suite," a composition depicting the view atop Sugarloaf Mountain. Her solo concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Reynolds Recital Hall. A selection of Weber's never-before-seen paintings, inspired by the vivid colors and textures of the Upper Peninsula, will be available for purchase, with 100% of proceeds directly benefitting NMU music scholarships.
The NMU concert is one of three local events that will provide the first public performances of Weber's three-movement suite in its entirety. The composition was a lifelong endeavor that Weber perfected until his death in 2011. The transfer of ownership of Weber's compositions and family records to the NMU Archives was completed earlier this year, with assistance from NMU Archivist Marcus Robyns.
“‘Weber's Suite' was inspired by the movement of Lake Superior's waves over rocks and watching gulls catch updrafts from the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain. This work belongs to all who have experienced the lake's majesty and rhythms,” said Camilli, who holds doctoral degrees in piano pedagogy in addition to undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and music therapy. She joined the music faculty at NMU in 2021.
Retired social worker and lifelong friend Daniel Rydholm, who will introduce the work with recollections of Weber's remarkable life, said, “Bill was one of those reclusive but artistic geniuses that the U.P. is often associated with. Recognition of his amazing legacy is long overdue.”