SHARING THE KEYBOARD: Members of the piano faculty at Westminster Conservatory of Music will perform in various configurations — two hands, four hands, six hands, even eight hands — at one piano, on Saturday, May 30, in Hillman Hall on the Westminster campus. From left are, back row: Theodore Hendricks-Verdejo, Elizabeth Moore, and Patricia Landy. In front are Larissa Korkina and Marianne Lauffer.

By Anne Levin

Most piano recitals are presented by solo artists. Less frequent are those by duos sharing the bench at one piano, or performing together on two separate instruments.

There will be one piano on the stage of Hillman Hall on May 30 at 7 p.m., when 11 members of the piano faculty at Westminster Conservatory of Music plan to perform a varied repertoire, in different configurations. The evening of works, some of them rarely heard, will include duets and trios, culminating with a quartet finale written for eight hands by 19th century composer Albert Lavingnac.

“This is music that is not always on the radar,” said Theodore Hendricks-Verdejo, a faculty member for 12 years and the organizer of the concert. “Some of it is written for these combinations, while other music we are playing has been adapted. Everyone will get to perform at least twice.”

Along with Hendricks-Verdejo, the pianists are Piano Department head Hendry Wijaya, Marianne Lauffer, Elizabeth Moore, Larissa Korkina, Sylvie Webb, Eunju Kim, Bing-Bing Chang, Natasha Agilina, Jenny Chiou, and Elena Panova. The program includes compositions by Strauss, Dvorak, Sarasate, Beethoven, Faure, Schubert, Drigo, and Kreisler. A jazz piece by Robert Vandall is for six hands, as is an arrangement of Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze.

Hendricks-Verdejo got the idea for the concert a while ago, and ran it by a few of his colleagues. Eventually, he presented it to the entire piano faculty.

“It took a while to gain momentum. But with the support of Hendry Wijaya, the head of the piano faculty, and then everyone else, here we are,” he said. “My hope is to bring members of the faculty closer, and provide this special experience for students and the public.”

Once the idea took shape, “the music started pouring in,” said Hendricks-Verdejo. “The repertoire is out there. The music covers the lower, middle, and upper range of the piano simultaneously, which can be done with a solo pianist. But there are only so many sounds you can make with one pianist.”

For those not accustomed to sharing one instrument, special adjustments are needed. “It involves listening, temperament, and physical comfort levels,” Hendricks-Verdejo said. “You have to reach over each other at times, and composers are not always sensitive to these positions.”

Admission to the concert is free. Hillman Hall is at 101 Walnut Lane.

“This is music that is fun to play and fun to listen to, and it’s not always on the concert circuit radar,” Hendricks-Verdejo said. “All of these pieces are gems, from different periods and styles. It’s 110 fingers in all, and we are looking forward to it.”