West Virginia University musicians will celebrate the 100th birthday of French composer Oliver Messiaen with a concert Monday (Dec. 3) at the Creative Arts Center.

Piano students who study with professor Christine Kefferstan will take part in the program which begins at 8:15 p.m. in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A). The event is free and open to the public.

The music is amazing and was written during the 1944 seige of Paris,Kefferstan said.In spite of the shortage of fuel, paper, food and the constant battles, Messiaen managed to compose spiritual, uplifting and enlightened music that celebrates life, Christianity and pianism.

Messiaen is renowned for his innovations and his creation of gorgeous sound, the WVU professor noted.

Everyone in my studio is participating in this concert, which is a first for me,Kefferstan said,and all the students have commented on how much they have learned about music. I hope everyone can come celebrate the 100th anniversary of Messiaens birth with such brave and rewarding music.

Students participating include narrators Christine Stahovec, Alison King, Danielle Martinez and Mary Joanna Grisso. Pianists performingPreludes 1930will be Ruthie Miltenberger, Courtney Martin and Zackery Wilson. Those performingVingt Regards 1944will include Jimmy Townsend, Rebecca Buxton, Gerry Karg, Joyce Wang, Su-Jung Huang and Kate Altizer.