Richard Egan (composer)
- For other people with this name, see Richard Egan (disambiguation).
Richard Allen Egan Jr. (born 2 October 1959) is a ragtime pianist, composer, transcriber, and arranger.
Bio
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, from the ages of 8 to 12 Egan took rudimentary piano lessons from a local church organist, reaching the second year level of studies by his fourth year. He quit lessons, avoided the piano for two years, until he was introduced to Scott Joplin's music through the film The Sting in January 1974. [1] He subsequently began to teach himself to play ragtime. He is considered to be one of the foremost musicians in the subgenre of Folk Ragtime. [2][3]
Egan's first public performance occurred on 28 April 1985 as a contestant in the Rosebud Ragtime Piano Competition at Fontbonne College in St. Louis. [4] Facing a single competitor, he won the Age 19-25 division. With the support of Trebor Jay Tichenor and daughter, Virginia Tichenor, he performed at ragtime festivals on the Goldenrod Showboat on the St. Louis levee from 1985 to 1989. [5] Egan joined the board of directors of The Friends of Scott Joplin House in March 1989 [6] and assisted in opening the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site in October 1991. He served as president of The Friends of Scott Joplin House from 1996 to 1999, directing the change in the organizational name to The Friends of Scott Joplin in 1997. As president, he oversaw the establishment of St. Louis’ monthly Ragtime Rendezvous on 2 November 1997, [7] the commencement of an annual youth piano competition on 15 May 1999, [8] and the erection of a monument on the grave of ragtime patriarch Tom Turpin on 12 September 1999. [9] From 2006 to 2010, he served as chairman of the Friends of Scott Joplin competition committee. St. Louis Magazine's music issue listed him among "the 100 greatest musicians in St. Louis history." [10]
Sheet Music
- Brun Campbell: The Music of "The Ragtime Kid", a book of transcriptions published in 1993 by Morgan Publishing.
- Ragtime and Folk Piano, a book of compositions and arrangements published in 1997 by Morgan Publishing.
- Camp Meeting Number 1 by Blind Boone, which Egan transcribed in 2004 and published for the John W. Boone Heritage Foundation.
Recordings
- From the Land of Ragtime, recorded for the Piano Joys label in 2000.
- A Circle of Friends, recorded in 2002 for The Friends of Scott Joplin. Egan contributed 2 tracks to this compilation.
- Lowland Forest, recorded for the Piano Joys label in 2005.
- Missouri Romp, recorded in 2007 for a 2008 release on the Piano Mania label.
- Eternal Songs 2: Heritage, recorded in 2013 with The Gaslight Strings Ensemble for The Strings Attached Project.
- Made GOOD for You, recorded in 2013 with The Mound City Slickers on the Oceana Productions label.
External links
References
- ↑ Meador, Mitch. “Book brings Old West brand of ragtime to life.” Lawton Constitution 26 June, 1993: p. B1.
- ↑ Roberts, David Thomas. “Rich Egan’s Lowland Forest.” Sacramento Ragtime Society Newsletter October 2006: p. 7.
- ↑ Williams, Sandy. “Richard Egan, Composer.” Lake Superior Ragtimer March-September 2005: p. 5, 7-11.
- ↑ Auble, John. “Auble at Large.” St. Louis Globe-Democrat 15 January, 1985: p. C1.
- ↑ Meador, “Book brings Old West brand of ragtime to life.”
- ↑ “Upcoming Events.” Euphony Review Vol. 1 No. 1, August 1989: p. 1. http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/fsjoplin/euphony/8901.htm
- ↑ “Ragtime Rendezvous Report.” Euphony Review November 1997. http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/fsjoplin/euphony/9711rendez.htm
- ↑ “Ragtime Piano Competition Results!!!!!” Euphony Review May 2000. http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/fsjoplin/euphony/9905young.htm
- ↑ “Tom Turpin Monument Dedication Ceremony.” Euphony Review November 1999. http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/fsjoplin/euphony/turpin.html
- ↑ "From Ragtime to Rock'n'Roll, These Artists Shaped Music in St. Louis---and Everywhere Else, Too." St. Louis Magazine. April 2012: p. 71.