Twenty fingers on four hands playing 176 keys in one musical competition—Piano Battle brings the fight to BJU Feb. 8 as two German pianists contend for artistic dominance and the audience’s favor.
“The duo goes head-to-head on stage, charming and enchanting the audience with a variety of classical pieces,” according to the duo’s official website. Each artist has a distinct style, and may even go as far as to improvise pieces to gain the crowd’s favor.
The two performers will take turns playing classical pieces and artists. These include, but are not limited to Chopin, Debussy and Liszt.
The pianists, Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis, have battled across the world into a moderate amount of fame. Originally created for the Hong Kong City Festival, the performance has been performed all over Europe, the United States and Asia. The two have also played in places like the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, the Seoul Arts Center, an open-air spectacle for over 6,000 fans in Taiwan and venues across their home country of Germany.
The performance will include at least six rounds between the two opposing pianists. According to one reviews, the performance not only features classical music but also comedic elements throughout the show.
A press review on the written by Munchner Abendzeitung states, “Classical music should be fun. And this is something these two men convey for two hours more playfully than anyone who tried before.”
Brelynn Sweatman, an English education major who plays piano said she’s especially excited for the concert.
“I’ve been looking forward to Piano Battle ever since I heard about it,” Sweatman said. “They’re performing all of my favorite pieces. I look forward to hearing the Chopin and Liszt pieces.”
Dominic Palermo, a senior computer science major, also shared in the excitement.
“I know that more people than usual are looking forward to this artist series than some of the previous ones,” Palermo said. “More people know about Piano Battle already and are excited.”
Piano Battle is the first of three Concert, Opera & Dram Series events on campus this semester.
