MTSU’s School of Music is showcasing “Prayers for a Feverish Planet,” an international collection of music inspired by climate change, in its next Keyboard Artist Series concert, set Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Pianist Ann DuHamel’s free performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 in Hinton Hall inside the Wright Music Building, 1439 Faulkinberry Drive. A campus map is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUParking.

“Prayers for a Feverish Planet” originated in late 2019, when DuHamel’s growing fears for our environment compelled her to “use music to make a difference.”

“Every day, I read more devastating news about something on earth that was now extinct, in flames, or underwater. Wanting to make some kind of difference — and knowing that I don’t have the personality or fortitude to run for office — I launched a call for scores,” she explains.

Responses poured in like rain. Composers from 35 countries, equally concerned for and inspired by the worldwide crisis, created 316 individual movements and pieces. DuHamel’s “Prayers for a Feverish Planet” now features 60 of those works for piano and piano/electronics.

DuHamel is an associate professor of music at the University of Minnesota Morris and the past president of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association. She’s performed and presented in 16 countries on four continents, including Sala Verdi in Milan, Italy; the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland; Trinity College in Oxford, England; and in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Hailed as a “forward thinking classical pianist” by Midwest Record for her 2020 debut album, “Rückblick: New Piano Music Inspired by Brahms,” she actively champions contemporary composers, recently commissioning works by Marc Chan, Flannery Cunningham, Jocelyn Hagen, Edie Hill and Tyler Kline, among others.

MTSU’s acclaimed Keyboard Artist Series, now in its sixth season, features MTSU faculty and distinguished guest pianists from around the world.

The university’s School of Music is marking its 20th year as the first all-Steinway school in Tennessee — and one of only 140-plus “All-Steinway Schools” in the world. It boasts 60 of the renowned instruments for student, faculty and guest use in its performance spaces, teaching studios and music classrooms.

MTSU’s Keyboard Artist Series season will conclude Tuesday, April 4, with a 7:30 p.m. Steinway Anniversary Celebration Concert featuring MTSU faculty, students and alumni.

For more information on MTSU’s Keyboard Artist Series, visit www.mtsu.edu/music/keyboardseries.php. For details on other School of Music events, call 615-898-2493 or visit the  “Concert Calendar” link.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)