Dr. Christine Sotomayor Lopez, director of keyboard studies, will present piano concert and lecture series called “Do You Hear What I Hear?” on Friday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m.
“I do two each semester. The lectures are always done by me and the music is presented by either Cerritos faculty or guest. The focus is always on a particular composer or a musical concept,“ Lopez said.
Lopez created the piano concert and lecture series as an opportunity for students to experience live professional music and hopes it encourages them to appreciate music.
“I want students to walk away from every concert, hearing what makes that piece of music so special. I don’t want the students to get over whelmed. I don’t want the students to pay attention to the complicity of it but on the beauty of it,” she said.
This semester instead of having various faculty members or guests collaborating on the piano concert series. Adjunct faculty member and piano instruct Sung Ae Lee will be performing for the students.
“I love performing for students. That’s one of my major passions. I love teaching too. It’s equally important to me. So I consider myself a teacher artist. I love teaching and I love performing. So I am really excited,” she said.
Lee will be performing a piece named “Carnaval” by Robert Schumann.“ Students have probably never heard of his name. People probably know Mozart, Beethoven, or Chopin but not the others. This is one of the most romantic composers that everyone has to know. He had a lot of drama in his life. His music is extra special, truly a romantic sound,” she said
The concert series presented is going to focus on the composer Robert Schuman who was widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era and suffered from a lifelong mental disorder.
According to Lee, he was a schizophrenic and suffered a lot of heart ache. He especially suffered from love. He was married to a great pianist and an important women figure in the 19th century named Clara.
The piano concert and lecture series will be in the Burnight Center Building; Music Department, room BC-51 at 11 a.m. with a free admission.
