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Venezuelan Pianist to Perform at Lander

Claudio OliveraLander University's New Artist Piano Concert, an annual event since 2003, continues on Thursday, Oct. 20, with a performance by Venezuelan pianist Claudio Olivera.

Olivera may be young, but he has already distinguished himself as a musician. He has played with almost every major orchestra in Venezuela. He interpreted Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Third Piano Concerto" in a performance in Berlin, Germany, and a selection by Polish conductor Tomasz Bugaj at the Rachmaninoff Festival in Catania, Italy. Olivera, who is seeking a doctor of musical arts degree at the University of South Carolina, has also performed before audiences in Chile and France.

Olivera will present an ambitious program, featuring "Rondo in D Major K. 485," by Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart, which Lander professor emeritus of music Dr. Anthony Lenti says "has both charm and emotional depth"; "Sonata op. 28 'Pastorale,'" which Lenti says reveals "the gentler side" of German composer Ludwig Beethoven; and Hungarian composer Franz Liszt's arrangement of a selection from German composer Richard Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," which Lenti says is so powerful that "it gives you shivers."

Following intermission, Olivera will perform Liszt's arrangement of "Widmung," from German composer Robert Schumann's "Myrthen," and Liszt's arrangement of both "Gute Nacht" and "Erstarrung," from Austrian composer Franz Schubert's "Winterreise."

Olivera will also play Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni's arrangement of "Chaconne," from German composer J.S. Bach's "Partita N. 2 for violin, BWV 1004," which Lenti says is marked by "psychological and emotional variety and seriousness."

The performance will conclude with Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona's ever-popular "Malaguena," which Lenti calls "infectious, a toe-tapper."

Lenti, who established the New Artist Piano Concert series with his wife, professor emeritus of music Dr. Marianne Lenti, to showcase young keyboard players embarking on performing careers, said that Olivera "is playing a very meaningful program." He anticipates "an entertaining and thought-provoking recital."

The concert, set to begin at 8 p.m. in Lander's Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium, is free and open to the public.