Rebeccah Leiby wows audience in piano recital at LHU

All-Liszt concert features challenging rhapsody

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Jessica Makufka and Rebecca Leiby

LOCK HAVEN, PA (11/02/2011)(readMedia)-- On October 22, two student pianists brought down the house at Lock Haven University's all-Liszt concert. Rebeccah Leiby of Schuylkill Haven was one of the performers.

The concert, held in Price Performance Center on the Lock Haven University campus, was in celebration of the 200th birthday of composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886).

The concert featured Steinway Artist Dr. David Curtin, associate professor of music. Two of Curtin's piano students at LHU, Jessica Makufka and Rebeccah Leiby, opened the concert with a dynamic duet.

Misses Makufka and Leiby performed a two-piano version of Liszt's best-known piece, the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. This piece is often associated with Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and other cartoon characters.

Prior to the concert, Curtin said, "Jessica and Rebeccah performed this particular piece last spring in a student recital, and it was a big hit – certainly one of the best student performances I've ever heard. And it's not often that one gets to hear two pianists playing simultaneously on two pianos, perhaps because it's not easy to do well."

The two pianists rose to the challenge and performed magnificently.

Curtin added, "Jessica and Rebeccah are two of our brightest piano students here at Lock Haven University, and also happen to be close friends. It has been my honor and privilege to have been their teacher for the past few years, and I expect great things from them in the future."

Rebeccah Leiby is a senior from Schuylkill Haven. She is completing a B.A. in Piano and a B.A. in Philosophy.

Jessica Makufka is a senior from Lock Haven. She is completing her degree in Music Education.

Lock Haven University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 405,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

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