CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Culture Center in Charleston will present a three-part concert series called “Music Classic,” featuring Pianist Barbara Nissman.

Hosted by Steinway Living Legend, and Nissman, a 2023 inductee into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, the three concerts will take place on Thursday, Feb. 9; Thursday, March 16 and also on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Culture Center State Theater, located on the campus of the West Virginia State Capitol Complex.

Barbara, a resident of Lewisburg, has invited West Virginia chamber musicians to join her on stage for the second and third programs to share musical favorites. These informal one-hour programs will be presented without an intermission.

The concerts are free and open to the public.

The opening concert on Feb. 9 is in honor of Valentine’s Day with “Music to Love.” Barbara invites the audience to meet some of her favorite composer “friends” as she shares their music and stories and transports the listener into their special and magical world!

The second concert on March 16, “Gershwin meets Brahms!,” features members of the Montclaire String Quartet who will join Nissman for this wonderful program that begins with George Gershwin’s beautiful Lullaby for String Quartet and ends with the Brahms Piano Quintet, one of his greatest works. She plans to introduce the music and the Quartet and also offer some of her favorite solo pieces by Brahms.

The third concert on May 16, “Schubert goes Fishing!,” includes Schubert’s popular favorite, the “Trout” Quintet, performed by Barbara and some of her musician friends. In the first part of the program Barbara will introduce the audience to the young Franz Schubert – a true poet of the piano and perform his Wanderer Fantasy, a composition that Schubert had tried to perform but never did because it was too difficult! 

“I am so looking forward to returning to the stage of the Culture Center and bringing along some of my West Virginia musician friends to share the magic of music with all of you,” states Nissman. “This is a series for everyone—all that’s required is an open heart to enjoy and to feel the passion.”