FULLERTON, Calif.—When internationally acclaimed pianist Sergei Babayan takes the stage at Cal State Fullerton’s Meng Concert Hall on February 16 at 3 p.m., his solo piano recital will quite literally “make the piano sing.”
Hailed as “combining quiet beauty with emotional fire” (The Times of London) Babayan has artfully reinvented the solo piano recital as “Songs,” an imaginatively curated program exploring the evolution of lieder, folksong, and the art of melody.
Babayan’s piano recital weaves a rich tapestry of solo pieces with piano transcriptions of songs by composers from Schubert, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff to Harold Arlen, Charles Trenet, and Armenian folk hero Komitas.
Celebrated for his solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concerto collaborations with orchestras around the globe, the Armenian American pianist is also one of today’s preeminent pedagogues and an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist with a growing and distinguished discography. Bachtrack calls him “one of the greatest pianists of our time.” “This is piano playing of the very highest echelon,” agrees MusicWeb International. As Canada’s Le Devoir concludes, “Babayan is a genius. Period.”
Sergei Babayan’s visiting artist appearance is part of the continuing Virtuoso Piano Series hosted by CSUF’s piano faculty, Alison Edwards, Dr. Myong-Joo Lee, and Dr. Robert Watson, and is sponsored by their Pianists-in-Performance community outreach program.
Individual tickets for Sergei Babayan are $10/ ($8 Titan) and available online, by phone (657-278-3371), or in-person through the Clayes Performing Arts Center Box Office. All orders subject to a $4 processing fee. In-person and phone hours are 12-4 pm, Tuesday through Friday. CSUF students receive (1) free ticket to each music concert or theatre production.
