CALUMET — Bob Milne, considered to be one of the best ragtime/boogie-woogie pianists in the world, will present his final concert in the Keweenaw this Sunday at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center in downtown Calumet. Milne, now 83, will be retiring at the end of this year. The Lapeer resident has frequented the Copper Country for over twenty years and is well-known to area residents and guests.

In 2004, over the course of three days, Milne was filmed by the Library of Congress to document his skill and expertise in ragtime piano for future generations. At the conclusion of which Milne was declared a National Treasure.

Milne’s concert tours take him all over the globe, to small, vintage opera houses and to large, prestigious concert halls. He earned a music degree in French horn performance from Eastman School of Music. He taught himself to play the piano, totally by ear, while playing night after night in bars and clubs.

He developed a 25-year career as the busiest saloon player and naturally progressed to the concert stage, sharing his love of music with audiences of all kinds.He has produced 11 solo piano recordings to date, which cover his wide range of playing styles, from the sweet and melodic to the highly rhythmic and hard-driving — all available on CD. He has composed more than 40 piano rags, a ragtime waltz with variations, a trumpet concerto, a flute suite and a violin suite.

Bob’s enthusiasm, ease of playing, and engaging manner while telling stories about the music and his warmth and humor all come together to make him, as he has been described by a member of the U.S. State Department, “a musical ambassador.”

Milne will perform at Real People Media’s Keweenaw Storytelling Center located in downtown Calumet at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Advance tickets can be purchased online at: www.realpeoplemedia.org or through the box office at (906) 934-2346. (Please leave message if no answer).

Real People Media is a 501c3 nonprofit which helps people share their stories through the literary, visual, performing and media arts.