Michael Dolman, Kansas City, Kansas, native and San Francisco resident, will present a concert and lecture demonstration of Scott Joplin’s piano works at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
Scott Joplin was known as the king of ragtime. During his brief career, he wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas.
One of his earliest and most popular pieces, the “Maple Leaf Rag,” became ragtime’s first and most influential hit, and has been recognized as the archetypal rag. The piano works of Joplin are considered the American equivalent of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Inventions and Sinfonias” for keyboard.
Michael Dolman is a native of KCK. He has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from University of Missouri at Kansas City and a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Northern Colorado. Dolman presently resides in San Francisco. He is pianist for Alonzo King Lines Ballet, the University of California at Berkeley and pianist – organist for Trinity United Methodist Church (Berkeley).
Dolman has also been a pianist for the San Francisco Ballet, Oakland Ballet, DanceAspen Summer Festival, Kansas City Ballet and is a guest pianist for Lawrence Arts Center and Oklahoma City Ballet.
Dolman is a noted advocate for the music of Scott Joplin. He has presented several Joplin concerts throughout the country, and has brought Joplin’s music into the American ballet class.
Dolman is a noted clinician for ballet pianists. In 2013, Dolman, with pianist Lucy Hudson, performed “Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky, celebrating the 100th anniversary of this milestone work. Dolman ‘s composition “Guthrie OK Rag” (a joyous homage to his mother) is now a part of the repertory for Kathy Mata Ballet.