Mary Claire Murphy to present piano recital

Mary Claire Murphy

Grace Presbyterian Church has been chosen as the location for a Blairsville performance by Mary Claire Murphy, an award-winning young pianist from Macon, Georgia. The time of the event is 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, April 27, in the church sanctuary. Admission is free. All are welcome.

Miss Murphy is a high school senior at Mary Persons High School in Forsyth, Ga., and has been classically trained in piano for 11 years.

For the past 7 years, she has been taught by Mrs. Susan McDuffie of Macon, who has guided some talented musicians to outstanding achievements. Included in the list are her son, world-renowned violinist Robert "Bobby" McDuffie, and her daughter and concert pianist Margery McDuffie Whatley.

Mary Claire, who recently turned 18, has achieved many honors including:

• Winner of the 2006 Macon Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.

As the winner, Mary Claire was invited to play the first movement of the Haydn Concerto in D Major, Hob XVIII, No. 11 with the Macon Symphony Orchestra in a special performance.

• Gordon College Academic Competition

• Piano 1st Place 2006 • Piano 1st Place 2005

• Piano 2nd Place 2004

• Georgia Music Teachers Association Outstanding Performer 2007

• Georgia Music Educators Association - 2007 named 3rd Alternate

• National Federation of Music Clubs Festival - Superior rating (all 11 years)

• Midsummer Macon Music Camp 2007, 2005, 2004

• Brevard Music Center Summer Camp - 2006

• Junior Piano Olympics

• Serves as keyboardist for her church youth praise team

• Nominated for Governors Honors - 2006 Alternate

• Earned an athletic letter jacket for Girls Cross Country in 2006

Placed first in District Cross Country meet in 2006. She has auditioned for numerous college music scholarships and will be attending Belmont University in Nashville, TN as a Piano Performance Major.

Mary Claire Murphy is the granddaughter of Tom and Sonia Murphy of Blairsville. She lives in Macon with her parents, Scott and Caroline Murphy, and has one sister, Amelia, a dance major at UGA, and a brother, Brian, an eighth grader at Covenant Academy in Macon.