FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2005

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

RENOWNED ITALIAN MUSICIANS TO PERFORM AT DRAKE APRIL 6

On Wednesday, April 6, Drake University will host a recorder and accordion concert by David Bellugi and Ivano Battiston, world-renowned musicians and faculty members at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence, Italy. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 8 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main, 25th Street and University Avenue.

"Bellugi and Battiston performed at Drake last year and they were phenomenal," said Eric Saylor, assistant professor of music history at Drake. The upcoming concert will encompass a variety of musical styles, including Eastern European dances, Bach's Sonata in D major and an improvisation session.

Bellugi and Battiston have performed concerts in the United States, Canada, Australia and throughout Europe. They also have produced a variety of recordings, as well as being featured on film soundtracks and selected for numerous honors.

A reviewer from the San Diego Reader said "Bellugi's mastery of his instruments goes far beyond mere technical prowess…. a true musician in the deeper matters of phrasing, structural shapeliness and style." The music reviewer for the Italian newspaper Corriere delle Alpi described Battiston and his accordion as "bewitchingly beautiful music making."

The Drake concert is made possible by Drake University and an Iowa Arts Council grant. For more information, call (515) 271-1989 or send an e-mail message to eric.saylor@drake.edu.

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