Pianist and Cal Poly Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will present a recital at the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre on Friday, Jan. 9 (7 p.m.; ages 5-and-older; $12 students to $22 general at pacslo.org).
The program spans from the late-18th century into the early 20th century and includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Sonata in A Major,” K. 331 (aka “Turkish Rondo”); followed by a set of character pieces by Felix Mendelssohn including three “Songs without Words” and his “Rondo Capriccioso,” Op. 14. The second half of the program will feature sets of “Preludes” by Claude Debussy and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Spiller retired from teaching at Cal Poly in spring 2023. He became a member of the music department faculty in 1991 and served as its chair from 2004 to 2019. He earned degrees in piano performance from the University of Washington, Indiana University, and the University of Southern California.
Dr. Spiller was also a prize winner in international piano competitions and was recognized by the University of Southern California School of Music as the outstanding doctoral graduate of 1991. He’s performed across the U.S. and Europe as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and accompanist. Δ
This article appears in Volunteers 2026.