While it’s easy to recognize the names of popular culture acts like Andy Grammer, it’s not too often that many University students realize when a big name in piano comes to campus.

On Jan. 27, Finnish Pianist Paavali Jumppanen played in the Rooke Recital Hall of the Weis Music Building, and the reception was fantastic.

“I didn’t know if I would enjoy it, but he was really good!” Matthew Taddeo ’17 said. “I would definitely see him again. I don’t usually listen to this type of music, so it was kind of cool to expand my horizons a little. And it was worth it, too. I had no idea he was so renowned, but once he started playing, it was easy to tell why.”

Jumppanen is indeed renowned, with credentials that include placing in very competitive music competitions, performances with large city orchestras in the United States and Finland, and appearances in many famous music halls and festivals. It was not his first time playing at the University—he’s appeared a few times, and was the artist-in-residence in 2009. Jumppanen’s latest performance at the University included three beautiful renditions from other artists, as well as two U.S. debuts.

“A U.S. debut in central Pennsylvania—that’s pretty cool,” Brennan Sharkey ’18 said. “We’re really lucky to have that available to us.”

Hopefully, the thunderous applause at the end of the night convinced him to return again in the future.