Brimming with popular classics from piano literature, this virtuosic program features two concertos considered to be important masterworks for the piano and, represent their composers at the height of creative powers. The selection by Lutoslawski has been a mainstay of the duo-piano repertoire since its inception. It is a set of variations on a theme from Paganini's violin caprices. This same popular theme has shown up in dozens of other works, including a concerted work for piano and orchestra by Rachmaninoff, an enormous, 2-volume set of variations for solo piano by Brahms, an etude by Liszt and a set of variations by the living composer Robert Muczynski.

Opening the program Watson will perform the solo line on the Beethoven, with Martinchuck on the orchestral reduction. For the duo, Martinchuk will perform the piano 1 part and Watson, piano 2. Closing the program with the Tchaikovsky, Martinchuck offers the solo piano part, with Watson joining on an orchestral reduction.

As a solo pianist, Rob Watson is known for an imaginative and eclectic repertory of music. He has performed in, and created festivals and recitals devoted to individual composers such as J. S. Bach, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Schubert. He has performed in the Haydn Saal at the Esterhazy Palace (Eisenstadt, Austria), Kings College (London, England) and the University of Florence (Italy). As a collaborative pianist, Watson has performed duo piano recitals with Mary Mark Zeyen, and with instrumentalists throughout the U. S. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Arizona where he was a student of Ozan Marsh. He has held faculty positions at Simpson College, Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and currently is associate professor of music and keyboard area coordinator at CSUF.

Serge Nikolay Martinchuk began his piano studies at age 7. His school studies immersed him in piano, solfege, music theory and ear training. Upon his graduation, with honors, he moved to the United States and has since studied piano with Vitally Margulis and Walter Ponce. Winner of the Pasadena Piano Competition, he has also captured a prize in the Los Angeles Liszt Competition, and participated in master classes with Lev Vlasenko, Leon Fleisher and Jerome Lowenthal. He received his Master of Music degree in piano performance from UCLA, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance under the guidance of Paul Berkowitz at UCSB. Martinchuk has taught piano at Master's College in Santa Clarita, California, and Westmont College in Santa Barbara, and held a teaching assistantship at UCSB. In 2001 he joined the faculty at Cal State Fullerton. He has recently played with the West Coast Symphony, which was aired on classical radio station 93.7 KDB.

Proceeds from the concert will enhance the Keyboard Area Scholarship fund.

Elizabeth Champion, College of the Arts at 657-278-2434