Feb. 8: Minnesota State Mankato to Host Piano, Percussion Recital Featuring 4 Performers

Sunday, February 8, 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Elias J. Halling Recital Hall

Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Performing Arts News Release

MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Performing Arts will present a dynamic recital for piano and percussion titled Sticks & Hammers on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. The recital is on campus at Halling Recital Hall of the Earley Center for Performing Arts, 320 Maywood Ave.

The program showcases works written for piano, timpani, and mallet percussion, highlighting both precision and expressive range. Audiences can expect a program that balances technical virtuosity with compelling musical storytelling featuring Bela Bartók’s Sonata for “Two Pianos and Percussion,” a piece by Panamanian composer Samuel Robles titled “Las Campanas del Diablo” and “Bilder Des Todes” by Cesar Bresgen.

Pianist David Viscoli has performed extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America and Asia. Performances of note include recitals at the National Theatre in Panama, the Japanese Embassy and the National University of Arts in Taiwan, Chung-Ang University in Korea, the Teatro Rosalia Castro in A Coruña, Spain and the Palais Corbelli in Vienna, Austria. He is currently a professor of piano and distinguished faculty scholar at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Pianist Daniel Rieppel has performed widely in the U.S., Latin America and Europe, including the Palais Corbelli in Vienna and in duo recital with the Austrian violinist Risa Schuchter during the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth in Salzburg. He has performed for the U.S. Ambassador to Panama on several occasions, and is a frequent collaborator of the “Alfredo de Saint Malo” International Music Festival. Rieppel has served as professor of music at Southwest Minnesota State University since 1998.

Percussionist Erich Rieppel was named principal timpani of the Minnesota Orchestra in the fall of 2018. Prior to that, he held the same title at New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas in Miami Beach, Florida. Rieppel has performed as principal timpanist with the Seoul Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony and New Jersey Symphony. Since 2013, he has played timpani and percussion with the Lakes Area Music Festival in northern Minnesota. Since 2023, he has performed as timpanist with the Grand Teton Music Festival. In January of 2024, he made his concerto debut with the National Symphony of Panamá.

Percussionist Matthew McClung has performed with a wide variety of orchestral, solo and chamber music ensembles throughout the United States. He has performed with the Houston Grand Opera, the Hawaii Opera Theater, the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the Hanover Chamber Orchestra, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Symphony of Southeast Texas, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, plus the symphony orchestras of Arkansas, Austin, Corpus Christi, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Houston, Kentucky, Lexington, Maui, Phoenix, San Antonio and Victoria. As a chamber musician, he has performed with a wide variety of professional musical organizations.

General admission for the concert is $10. Minnesota State Mankato students are admitted free with a valid MavCARD.

For more information visit hss.mnsu.edu/music-events or call the Performance Series office, (507) 389-5549.