The Friends of Sims Library and the department of fine and performing arts presented Dr. Kenneth Boulton and JoAnne Barry in a duo piano recital on Sunday, Sept. 26, held inside the Pottle Building Annex Recital Hall.

The husband and wife team played select pieces from a collection found in the Sims Memorial Library that was previously donated by Dr. Ronald Stetzel and his wife, who frequently performed duo piano concerts together.

Stetzel was on Southeastern’s music faculty for over 30 years, and his wife was a well-known piano teacher. Their entire collection includes over several hundred titles. Boulton and Barry dedicated the recital to the Stetzels in order to honor their generosity and accomplishments.

Barry, who has degrees in music and librarianship, volunteers at the Sims Library and in hearing about the duo piano collection, sought it out. The selections Boulton and Barry played included works by Bach, Chaminade, Gliere, Mussorgsky, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Richard Strauss.

Barry and Boulton, an associate professor of piano and interim director of Columbia Theatre, have performed frequently at other universities as well as all over the U.S. and Europe. They have also done performances in Russia, England and Germany.

They have been doing approximately two concerts per year for Southeastern since 2003 and have played together for over 20 years.

“It stimulates the brain and soul at the same time,” said Boulton.

Barry said she hoped students would take away with them a piece they loved, something to make them smile. Boulton added that he hoped students would see that collaborating musically with a partner is an awarding experience.

As far as advice for students aspiring to make it in the musical job market, Boulton emphasized practice.

“You have to be quite single-minded,” said Boulton. “You have to keep your mind open. You have to keep your options open. What you originally think will happen, may not be the path you take. There should be some unique talent there, and the work ethic has to be there.”

The couple has never strayed too far from live classical music, and they believed it is something that could not be described to someone who has never experienced it. They both emphasized that all classical music is different.

“We try to pick something for everybody,” said Barry. “We want to give everybody a message.”