On May 3, the MSU College of Music will present the return of the musical extravaganza, Piano Monster. There will be two performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Fairchild Theatre in the MSU Auditorium.
Piano Monster, the final concert in this year’s MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series features the expertise of pianists Panayis Lyras, Deborah Moriarty, Derek Kealii Polischuk and Zhihua Tang, all MSU faculty artists.
“We have chosen repertoire for this concert that will be as much fun for the audience to hear as it is for the pianists to play,” Lyras said, who also serves as professor of piano and artist in residence. “It’s colorful and high-energy, with a dance element, and a wonderful mix of emotions.”
The four pianists will perform various arrangements on grand pianos, including works by Dvořák, Debussy, Gershwin, Milhaud, and the concert's centerpiece, The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. James Forger, dean of MSU’s College of Music, will narrate the famous zoological fantasy by reciting poet Ogden Nash's playful verses, written in 1949 to accompany the music.
“The pianists are sensational artists and Piano Monster will be a performance that will delight families and music lovers with virtuosity galore,” said Forger. “This unique concert showcases talent like no other.”