The music of Ludwig van Beethoven and other noteworthy composers will be featured in a free concert Tuesday (March 11) at West Virginia University.

The Sarasvati Trio, featuring violinist Patricia van der Sloot, cellist Susan Bestul and pianist Christine Kefferstan, will present a recital at 8:15 p.m. in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (Room 200A) of WVU s Creative Arts Center. The concert on the Evansdale Campus is open to the public.

Kefferstan is a professor of piano at WVU , and van der Sloot teaches in the Universitys Community Music Program. Bestul is on the faculty of both the Fairmont State University and the WVU Community Music programs.

The concert will featurePiano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3by Beethoven;Piano Trio No. 4 in E Minor, Opus 90, �€~Dumkyby Antonin Dvorak; andFarewell to Cucullain (Londonderry Air)transcription by Fritz and Hugo Kreisler.

Formed in 2005 in Morgantown and named for the Hindu goddess of arts, the Sarasvati Trio has appeared at numerous venues in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The group has given presentations at the College Music Societys National Conference in San Antonio, International Conference of Music Teachers National Association, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers, Royal College of Music and Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati.More information about each trio member follows:

• Bestul received her bachelors degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and continued her studies with Aldo Pariost at Yale. From 1979-1999, she served as the principal cellist for both the Cincinnati Chamber and Cincinnati Ballet orchestras in addition to performing frequently with the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops and Cincinnati Opera orchestras. In 1998, she participated in the Casals Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and that same year, she played principal cello for Luciano Pavarotti.

• Kefferstan maintains an active performing career as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. She was recently featured as a solo artist at the National Institute of Culture and History in Belize City, Belize; on the Stifel Fine Arts Series, Wheeling; Silver Series, Plymouth, N.H.; and Steinway Society Series in Pittsburgh. A graduate of the College-Conservatory of Cincinnati, she has been recognized by WVU s Division of Music and the West Virginia Music Teachers Association for her excellence in teaching. Kefferstan has been invited to give classes, lectures and recitals throughout the United States.

• Living in Morgantown since 2003, van der Sloot teaches privately and plays chamber music. She earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in performance at Eastman School of Music. Upon finishing her degrees, she moved to Alberta, Canada, where she spent 13 years performing and teaching. While there, she was a member of the Calgary Philharmonic and Edmonton Symphony. In addition, she performed with and recorded for Canadian Broadcasting with various chamber orchestras, including the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Kensington Sinfonia, Edmonton Chamber Orchestra and Arden Chamber Ensemble.

For additional information, contact the College of Creative Arts at 304-293-4841 ext. 3185.