Martina Filjak of Croatia, award-winning pianist, showcased her talent to the mid-valley area on Sunday, November 7, for the launching of the 2010-11 Steinway Piano Concert Series.

Corvallis-OSU Piano International lured the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition winner for a 4 p.m. show at LaSells Stewart Center, 875 S.W. 26th St.

Martina Filjak will open with three Spanish baroque sonatas by Soler, then the Music from the golden age of piano, including Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 in B Minor and Chopin’s Ballade No. 4.

In an all-Russian second half, she will perform Sonata No. 4 from the “Old Notebooks” by Prokofiev, followed by “Prelude & Nocturne for the Left Hand op. 9” by Scriabin. Filjak will close with Balakirev’s “Islamey, Oriental Fantasy,” an outrageously difficult piece full of glitter and flash.

Ticket prices are $20 (advance) and  $25 at the door entrance. The concert is not recommended for children under 8 years old. 8 – 18 years old OSU students and youth are admitted for free. Advance tickets are available at ticketsoregon.com, as well as the following Corvallis outlets: Grass Roots Books & Music, Gracewinds Music, Beard’s Framing, and Rice’s Pharmacy.

The remainder of the Steinway Piano Concert Series includes American pianist Stephen Beus on Feb. 20, and Canada’s Ryo Yanagitani will perform on April 10, 2011.