Daredjan Kakouberi, pianist, and Gary Levinson, violinist

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present two guest artist recitals during the first full week in April. Violinist Gary Levinson and pianist Daredjan Kakouberi will perform at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, pianist Jura Margulis will present his recital, "Music of Franz Liszt." Both recitals will be held in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Levinson, senior principal associate concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony since 2002, and Kakouberi will present violin sonatas by Giuseppe Tartini, Claude Debussy and Ludwig van Beethoven.

"Tartini's 'Sonata in G minor,' popularly known as 'The Devil's Trill,' is the composer's best known work," said Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, SFA associate professor of violin. "It contains incredibly virtuosic double stop and trill passages."

"Debussy's 'Sonata in G minor, L 140' is one of the finest representative pieces of impressionistic chamber music, and Beethoven's fiery and dramatic 'Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47' will be a wonderful conclusion for the recital," Dalmas continued.

Admission to the Levinson recital is free and open to the public.

Margulis, who is the inaugural holder of the Emily J. MacAllister Endowed Professorship in Piano at the J.W. Fulbright College of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, was originally scheduled to perform his Liszt recital at SFA on Feb. 10, but he had to reschedule because of weather.

Among the works Margulis will perform are "Mephisto Waltz" and "Sonata in B minor," both of which reveal traits of Liszt the showman and Liszt the poet, explained Dr. Andrew Parr, SFA professor of piano.

"Piano enthusiasts will appreciate the technical virtuosity of Liszt's compositions and the artistic manner in which a top-level performer such as Jura Margulis handles them," Parr continued.

"The Music of Franz Liszt" is a part of the SFA School of Music's Cole Performing Arts Series. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets, go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Cole Concert Hall is located in the Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Dr.