Pianist Robert Auler to perform favorites in Oct. 21 concert

International concert pianist and SUNY Oswego music professor Robert Auler will present a concert of favorite works at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, in the Sheldon Hall ballroom.

The Focus on Faculty Series performance will feature the works of Mozart, Bach-Busoni, Schumann, Carter Pann and more.

"If someone came to a classical piano recital for a first time, these are the compositions I would want them to hear," Auler said.

"The Carter Pann composition 'She Steals Me' is a four-and-a-half-minute, almost pop-radio friendly composition," added Auler, who also is the chair of Oswego's music department. "Unbelievably simple, lyrical 'tune.' It would be the one piece I would use to introduce classical music to non-listeners."

Auler said the chosen works span more than 200 years of the development of the piano repertoire, and serve as an accessible entry point for listeners. The show will include Auler's commentary from the stage.

"I think of this recital as a classical music 'Greatest Hits CD,' with tons of amazing pieces from different eras," Auler said. "When I put together the program, I imagined explaining to my kids why classical piano is so cool -- each of these pieces is incredibly audience-friendly and accessible." 

The New York Times has commended Auler’s playing for its “extraordinary rhythmic clarity and expression,” while American Record Guide praised his “elegant tone and uncanny sense of voicing.”

Auler has won first prize in national and international piano competitions, including the Society of American Musicians and the Stravinsky Awards. He has performed on six continents, with notable venues including Carnegie Hall, Teatro Colon and Shanghai Symphony Hall.

The 2016 winner of SUNY Oswego’s President’s Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity has also recorded two solo albums, plus two records as part of the college's Oswego Jazz Project.

Tickets are $8 ($5 for SUNY Oswego students), available at the college's box offices, online at tickets.oswego.edu or by calling 315-312-2141. Parking is included in the price of a ticket, and is available in employee and commuter lots adjacent to and across Washington Boulevard from Sheldon Hall. People with disabilities needing assistance should called 315-312-2141 in advance of the recital.

For more information on SUNY Oswego fine arts performances and exhibitions, visit oswego.edu/arts.