 "Photo: Matt Sloan/Poly Post")
Tuesday night brought an enthusiastic crowd to the Recital Hall to watch world-renowned pianist Victor Rosenbaum perform.
Rosenbaum studied with famous pianists Elizabeth Brock and Martin Marks in his hometown of Indianapolis and has performed and taught to many around the world.
Cal Poly music professor Nadia Shpachenko was taught by Rosenbaum and was one of the contributing factors in bringing him to the campus.
"We talked about it. I suggested it and he was really excited, and he said, 'I would love to,'" said Shpachenko. "It just turned out wonderfully."
He immediately got the crowd's attention by starting the performance with "Two Rhapsodies, Opus 79" by German composer Johannes Brahms.
Continuing with "Opus 94," by Austrian composer Franz Schubert, it seemed Rosenbaum was singing along as he struck the piano keys.
According to Rosenbaum, there are no lyrics to the Schubert pieces and it is just a bad habit that he uses to stay in tune with the notes.
"I really liked watching him articulate all the songs and to see how dynamically different everything was. He is really impressive to watch," said Melissa Hershey, first-year music business student.
The day before, Hershey attended Rosenbaum's master class and got advice on different piano techniques and how to improve her piano play.
After a brief intermission, Rosenbaum continued the performance with pieces by some of his favorite composers, Mozart and Chopin.
"It's just music that I love and that I felt that I really want to share with an audience because I think it's so beautiful," said Rosenbaum.
Once Rosenbaum struck the last key of Chopin's "Ballad No. 3," he stood up and received a standing ovation from the audience, but the show was not over then.
Rosenbaum left the stage but soon returned for an encore.
A quick, short piece was just enough to leave the audience satisfied.
"The master class was like an open lesson. Three students played, and I worked with them as you would in a lesson, except it was open through people watching," said Rosenbaum. "So three of the students played Beethoven, and one of the students played a work by an American composer, Lou Harrison."
According to Shpachenko, Rosenbaum received amazing feedback from students attending the master class; as a former master class student, she was able to relate to what they were experiencing.
"[I've know him] since 1993. I played for a master class for him and he heard me play," said Shpachenko. "He invited me to study with him in Boston, and that's how I actually came to this country."
Rosenbaum was the department chair for the New England Conservatory for more than 10 years and still serves as part of its faculty.
He is also part of the Mannes College of Music and Longey School of Music faculties.
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