The Return of the Piano Monsters

Event graphic courtesy MSU College of Music

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Get ready to be immersed in an unforgettable musical experience when Piano Monster returns to the campus of Michigan State University this spring. This unique concert features four grand pianos on one stage and seven monster pianists from the College of Music piano faculty. This final event of MSU’s 2021-22 MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series takes place on Sunday, May 8th, at 3:00 p.m. in Fairchild Theatre.

Pianists Deborah Moriarty, Margarita Shevchenko, Zhihua Tang, Derek Polischuk, Young Hyun Cho, Genadi Zagor, and Tamar Mikeladze share the stage, and sometimes the same keyboard. The pianists’ collective virtuosity creates a resounding wall of sound, filling the theatre with a variety of works from around the world arranged for multiple pianos. The program includes movements from The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Three Negro Spirituals by Florence Price, Two Tangos by Astor Piazzolla, Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms, The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns, and the grand finale Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.

Pianists from the MSU College of Music perform for the Piano Monster concert with four grand pianos on the Fairchild Theatre stage of the MSU Auditorium. Photo by Harley Seeley.

“The Piano Monsters are delighted to be back on stage,” said Professor of Piano and Chair of the MSU Piano Area Deborah Moriarty. “This program is filled with wonderful music and the joy of performing together in front of a live audience.”

This performance is generously sponsored by Doug and Brenda Jewell.

Reserved seating: $22 for adults, $20 for senior citizens (age 60 and older), and $12 for students with ID and anyone under age 18. Information on this and other concerts, recitals and performances can be found on the MSU College of Music website: www.music.msu.edu. Please note: As of March 6, the university will no longer require patrons to wear masks and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to attend events hosted by the College of Music.