Ridgewood February 22, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 13 Liigard brings classics, original works to village by John Koster Lovers of classical music may never know how Chopin’s works sounded when they were performed by the composer, but André Liigard, a composer who resides in Franklin Lakes, bridged some of that gap of conjecture in a recent recital at Ridgewood Library. Liigard, a New Yorker of Estonian heritage, centered his classical piano concert on Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” with a shorter work by Bach and two by Chopin, but he began and ended with his own compositions. Liigard’s “Grand Concert Etude in C# Minor,” sounded like vintage Chopin. The simple theme was embellished with a flamboyance that turned the piano into an entire orchestra, and the theme was repeated with heroic defiance in Chopin’s style. The same eloquence came through in his treatment of the “Moonlight Sonata” -- the Beethoven piece instantly recognized for the gentle first section that a critic compared to the soft play of moonlight on water. The piece also features sections that are alternately sprightly and turbulent. Liigard began his piano training at the age of seven, and started composing at 12. He has studied at Westminster College of the Arts, with elective courses at Princeton University, Julliard, the Mannes School of Music, the Milan Conservatory, and the Moscow Conservatory. He has performed at Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the United Nations, and the Great Hall in Moscow. He has written the music for a musical to be performed in New York City this autumn, and recently composed 15 waltzes for a new ballet slated for production. He will have an opera produced in 2013. Extremely tall, with a maroon velvet jacket and a bright red ascot, Liigard looked as if he had stepped onto the stage from the musical heyday of the 19th century. “I’m a throwback,” Liigard admitted. The fans who gathered around to extol his skill at performance and composition called him “maestro.” Area All Seasons Chamber Players to perform The All Seasons Chamber Players The All Seasons Chamber Players, one of New Jersey’s most popular and active chamber music ensembles, will perform a concert on Sunday, March 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the Central Unitarian Church, 156 Forest Avenue in Paramus. Admission is free and all are welcome. A Meet-the-Artists Reception will follow the concert. The program, “Continental Cuisine,” will provide a variety of musical “dishes” with a strong emphasis on Central European composers. Highlights will include works by Fritz Kreisler arranged for cello and piano, “Fantasia Concertante for Piano, Flute, and Cello” by Carl Czerny, “Rondeau in D for Piano Duet” by Franz Schubert, and the “Trio in G Minor for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 15” by Bedrich Smetena. Rounding out the program will be music by a living American composer, Steve Marzullo, who’s “Suite for Cello and Piano” will provide a light touch to the program. Bob Lawrence, co-director for programs, will introduce each piece with entertaining spoken program notes. Performers will include flutist Brenda Sakofsky of New City, New York, violinist Bob Lawrence of New York City, (continued on page 14) André Liigard and his wife Susan.