Pianist to perform the classics at church

Concert pianist and Glen Ellyn native David Saliamonas will give a recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church, 424 Forest Ave. in Glen Ellyn.

The concert will feature several preludes by Rachmaninoff, Schubert's Moments Musicaux, and the 24 Preludes, op. 28, by Chopin.

Tickets, available at the door, cost $25 for adults and $10 for children. For details, call (630) 858-3486.

In addition to playing the piano, Saliamonas is known for speaking about the music that he performs. He explains things about the music, not hesitating to recount an amusing anecdote or to demonstrate a compositional technique at the keyboard.

This makes him popular with audiences, whether they are seasoned concert goers or school children unaccustomed to classical music.

Not only can these talks help the listener better appreciate the music, but they also lighten the sometimes too-formal atmosphere of many classical music concerts.

Saliamonas has performed in cities throughout the United States, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas and Miami. Abroad, he has played in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Australia. Also, he has been featured on radio and television in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Romania and China.

Saliamonas taught himself to play by ear and to improvise when he was just 5 years old. In fact, he will still occasionally supplement his concerts with a free improvisation or a composition of his own. Eventually, his musical education led him to Manhattan School of Music, where he received both his master's and bachelor's degrees.

After having lived for several years in New York, he currently makes his home in Paris.