Pianist to whet the appetite of classical fans at Fresno State

By REBECCA MARTIN

The passion, the pain and the inevitable drama of music. Those are the essences of life’s soundtrack, and there’s nothing quite like the dramatic crescendos or the blissful and sudden bitter emotions of music.

Ask college students today and they’ll tell you their favorite music artists are trendsetters like the White Stripes or Jay-Z.

But today one trendsetter of music will be in the Concert Hall at 8 p.m. Classical pianist Andreas Haefliger will perform classical works by Beethoven, Bartok and Brahms. The event is part of the Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts.

As a native of Switzerland, Haefliger grew up in a musical household; his father is singer Ernest Haefliger and his wife, Marina Piccinini, is a flutist.

Haefliger has performed with his father in such places as Schuberts’s Winterreise at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in a variety of European cities.

Haefliger draws from a variety of places for inspiration in his music, and critics and audience notice.

“His interpretations spring from a rich cultural heritage,” the Colbert Artists Managment Inc. reported. “He is a consummate musician and one of the leading pianists of his generation.”

Critics and artists aren’t the only ones impressed with his musical abilities.

As a student at Julliard School of Music, he was awarded the Gina Bachauer Memorial Scholarship on different occasions.

Haefliger has a number of professional classical recordings, including works by Schuman, Mozart, Schubert and Sofia Gubaidulina.

Tickets are $5 for students. For more information, call 278-2337.