piano phenom at UNH
Santiago Rodriguez has been described as “a phenomenal pianist” by The New York Times and “among the finest pianists in the world” by the Baltimore Sun. He’ll try to live up to the hype during a performance at the University of New Hampshire on Friday, Feb. 5.

Rodriguez, an immigrant as a child from Cuba, has performed with leading orchestras around the world. He began garnering acclaim when he won the silver metal at the Van Cliburn Competition in 1981, and his life and artistry were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kurault in 1993.

Now a professor of music and artist in residence at the University of Miami, Rodriguez will appear in Durham as part of UNH’s Celebrity Series, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Paul Creative Arts Center’s Johnson Theatre. The program will include works by Mozart, Chopin and Rachmaninov, as well as Spanish composers Soler, Falla and Ginastera.

Tickets are $30 for the general public or $10 for youths. Call 603-862-2290 or visit www.unhmub.com/ticket.

A masterclass of UNH piano students will take place on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Arts Center’s Bratton Recital Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.

famed fiddler in Portsmouth
Hanneke Cassel is widely considered one of America’s finest practitioners of Scottish fiddle music. In 1997, at age 17, she was pronounced U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, just three years after being named U.S. Junior National Champion.

Cassel will perform at The Dolphin Striker in Portsmouth on Friday, Feb. 5, accompanied by cellist Ariel Friedman and guitarist Christopher Lewis. She is celebrating the release of her latest album, “For Reasons Unseen,” which demonstrates a range of stylistic influences from Scotland to China, along with elements of bluegrass and Americana.

Cassel graduated from Berklee College and lives in Boston, where she is steeped in the local music scene. She has toured internationally, performing as far away as China and New Zealand. She is known for taking a uniquely American approach to Scottish music, honoring Scottish traditions while maintaining an innovative edge.

The show begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5 at The Dolphin Striker, 15 Bow St., Portsmouth, 603-431-5222. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance by visiting www.mkix.com/heptunes or calling 978-462-9630.