Monroe Area Council for the Arts (MACA) will present Steinway artist Emile Pandolfi in concert on Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Hiwassee College in Madisonville. The performance is supported by funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

With nearly 30 recordings in his own discography, Emile Pandolfi ranks among America's most popular piano artists. With the majority of his performance repertoire being lush, intricate arrangements of Broadway and standards that form the pantheon of the "American Popular Songbook," his influences are, in fact, more classical than pop. And it is this subjective layering of classical style that Pandolfi infuses onto the broader palate of selections performed in his frequent concerts that seems to pluck that connective thread with audiences everywhere.

Having been a serious piano student since age five, with his symphony debut at 14, Pandolfi received his graduate degree in piano performance. He began traveling the globe, playing wherever he went. He ended up in Los Angeles for 15 years where he made his living playing for dancing, acting, and opera coaches.

He spent six years as "the piano man" in major comedy clubs, providing music for improv groups and a line-up of comedians, including Jay Leno, Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jerry Seinfield, and others. In 1984, he was one of four pianists chosen to record the broadcast version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" for the official Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. He recorded his first solo CD in 1990. Since that time, Emile Pandolfi has recorded 26 albums, with sales exceeding 3 million. He now ranks as the top-selling recording artist in the specialty alternative market in which bookstores and gifts shops are classified.

Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased by check or cash at all Citizens National Banks in Monroe County. Advance tickets can also be purchased with a credit card online at www.monroearts.com or by calling 423-442-3210. Tickets are $18 at the box office on the day of the performance. Student tickets are $10.