Over 60 people attended the "Pre-Exam: Happy Concert 20 Years and Still Counting," a duet piano recital held today in Knuth Hall at 1:10 p.m, an annual Spring concert held one week prior to the semester ending.

Performing pianists, Inara Morgenstern and Victoria Neve, have performed together for over 25 years and this year's concert marks the 20th annual concert for the SF State instructors, Neve said.

The show started with Neve's three-piece solo performance of Henry Cowell's, Three Irish Legends: The Tides of Manaunaun, The Herd Sun and The Voice of Lir-each with a rich folklore story. Neve performed the pieces using Cowell's traditional forearm cluster, a technique that when used resonates a roar, rumble or chime from the piano.

Upon completion of Neve's solo recital, she was accompanied by Morgenstern, who sat opposite from Neve at her own piano. The women performed "The Rite of Spring: Scenes of Pagan Russia," by Igor Stravinsky. The two-part performance was thirty minutes of enchanting piano dialect.

"Stravinsky's pieces are always great pieces," Emi Tamura said, a graduate student in piano performance. "The original piece does sound somewhat different, but it's probably because of the two pianos. They did wonderful though."
Morgenstern declined to answer any questions, but has played the piano since she was a child and found a place at SF State as a piano teacher and lecturer.

Neve is also a professor and graduate coordinator for the School of Music and Dance. Both women also perform in an annual Halloween concert held every Fall.

"We've been playing together for such a long time now so it comes naturally," Neve said. "It's awlays a pleasure performing with her [Morgenstern]."