Arts and Sciences | Community | EventsMarch 16, 2026

Beethoven Expert to Give Historical Lecture and Performance

Written By: Ian Silvester

Local professor and Beethoven expert Dr. Stephen Husarik of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith is preparing a lecture exploring the pivotal events of 1806 and the challenges Beethoven faced at the time. 

Husarik’s lecture, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in room 105 of the Breedlove Building, will examine the events and challenges Beethoven faced 220 years ago. With his hearing deteriorating and threatening his career, Beethoven leaned into the challenge and produced “music of extraordinary ambition,” Husarik said, noting the Violin Concerto, the Piano Concerto No. 4, and the 32 Variations in C Minor.  

Husarik said the lecture will offer a “fresh analytical interpretation” of the 32 Variations in C Minor and conclude with a performance of the music by Husarik, in what he calls a place where historical context and musical experience meet. 

“In 1806, Beethoven was reinventing himself,” Husarik explained. “This lecture-recital explores how the 32 Variations in C Minor reflect a moment of crisis, experimentation, and transformation, revealing a composer forging a new musical identity.” 

Dr. Andy DeBoer, UAFS Music and Theatre Department Head, expressed his excitement for the lecture and how Husarik’s work keeps history alive. 

“(The) lecture demonstrates that our department and university are not only preserving musical heritage but actively shaping the statewide and national conversation about how we understand Beethoven,” DeBoer said. “Bringing fresh scholarship and performance together elevates our visibility and affirms our role as a leader in arts education.” 

The lecture is free and open to the public. 

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• Music
• Faculty Lecture