From Mossy Creek to Carnegie Hall: C-N’s Fogg embarks on multi-state concert tour

This spring Carson-Newman University’s Dr. Ryan Fogg embarks on a journey complete with 25 stops spanning 16 states as well as the District of Columbia. Such an endeavor would be ambitious enough, but the scheduled itinerary will conclude in less than three months.

The C-N professor of Music and director of Keyboard Studies doesn’t mind. It’s all a part of a well-orchestrated plan to feature the pianist in concert across the country while on sabbatical. The tour begins with a home recital in Carson-Newman’s Thomas Recital Hall on Jan. 16 and culminates with a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall on April 2.

“Even when I’m not on a sabbatical, I generally perform three to four times off campus per year,” said Fogg. “So when I decided to apply for a sabbatical, I knew that I wanted to take that to a different level. My initial goal was around 10 performances, but it expanded rather quickly to 25.”  

When the tour’s curtain rises, audiences will be treated to the works of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

“I chose this program partly because I had performed very little of Debussy or Ravel over the past 20 years,” he said. “So with this project I really wanted to submerge myself into their styles and put a magnifying glass over their similarities and differences.”  

With scheduled dates ranging from Appalachian State University and West Virginia University to University of Mississippi and Oklahoma Baptist University, Fogg says he’s eager for the tour’s launch.

“At this point, I am excited, and I feel confident in my preparation,” said Fogg. “With so much planning, there’s always the chance that something will happen unexpectedly. I’ve already had multiple flights change their departure/arrival times. But that’s out of my control, so I can’t worry about it.”

Fogg’s no stranger to the stage lights and audiences, having performed in a variety of locations and venues over the years, but the chance to give a recital at renowned Carnegie Hall in New York is one that even the veteran pianist eagerly anticipates.

“This will be my debut performance in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall,” he said. “It really is the opportunity of a lifetime. To be on the same stage where so many revered musicians have performed before is very humbling. I plan to enjoy every second.”  

Fogg’s Jan. 16 tour opening performance at Carson-Newman is free and open to the public. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.

FOGG Concert Tour 2024

Tues, 1/16/24               Carson-Newman University                              Jefferson City, TN

Mon, 1/22/24               Georgia College & State University                  Milledgeville, GA

Tues, 1/23/24               Converse University                                          Spartanburg, SC

Wed, 1/24/24               Appalachian State University                           Boone, NC

Fri, 1/26/24                  Wheaton College Conservatory of Music        Wheaton, IL

Tues, 1/30/24               University of Tennessee at Martin                   Martin, TN

Thurs, 2/1/24                Ouachita Baptist University                            Arkadelphia, AR

Tues, 2/6/24                 Church Street United Methodist Church         Knoxville, TN

Thurs, 2/8/24                Southeast Missouri State University               Cape Girardeau, MO

Fri, 2/9/24                    University of Evansville                                    Evansville, IN

Tues, 2/13/24               Church of the Epiphany                                    Washington, D.C.

Thurs, 2/15/24              Messiah University                                            Mechanicsburg, PA

Tues, 2/20/24               West Virginia University                                   Morgantown, WV

Wed, 2/21/24               Denison University                                            Granville, OH

Thurs, 2/22/24              Marietta College                                               Marietta, OH

Tues, 2/27/24               University of St. Thomas                                   Houston, TX

Wed, 2/28/24               University of Houston                                       Houston, TX

Thurs, 2/29/24              Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church               Houston, TX

Tues, 3/5/24                 Murray State University                                     Murray, KY

Wed, 3/6/24                 University of Mississippi                                    Oxford, MS

Mon, 3/11/24               Bowling Green State University                          Bowling Green, OH

Fri, 3/15/24                  Mercer University                                              Macon, GA

Tues, 3/26/24               University of Central Oklahoma                        Edmond, OK

Thurs, 3/28/24              Oklahoma Baptist University                            Shawnee, OK

Tues, 4/2/24                 Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall                     New York, NY