Presenting a program packed with music by favorite composers, the St. James Concert Series welcomes Jason Sia, pianist, in the third concert of the season. The program will be performed on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m., in the Red Church in Sonora.

Recognized for his eloquently expressive depth of interpretation and seamless technique, pianist Jason Sia has reached audiences with his emotion-filled performances. Sia’s repertoire as a solo performer and a concerto soloist spans the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary musical eras. For this concert, he will present such favorites as Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Chopin’s Nocturne in D - flat, Debussy’s Claire de Lune, the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Lizst, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

This program will also feature the winners of the Sierra Music Scholarships. Each year, the St. James Concert Series sponsors a scholarship competition for students from Tuolumne and Calaveras counties studying with private local music teachers. The Scholarship fund, managed by the Sonora Area Foundation, was established in 1998 and to date has awarded $12,800 to 57 students.

Tickets for this concert are $15 for adults, $5 for students 18 and under, and are available at Mountain Bookshop in the Junction, by calling (209) 536-0825 or at the door. For further information regarding the St. James Concert Series, visit the website at sjconcertseries.org.

Sia began his piano studies at the age of 6 and received his formal musical education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Aspen Music School and Festival in Colorado. He earned his Bachelor and Master Degrees in Piano Performance at California State University, Sacramento, graduating cum laude. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and at master classes for internationally renowned concert pianists and pedagogues. Abroad, he has attended summer piano festivals and performed at master classes and recitals at such places as the Colmar International Music Festival in France, at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, the Korean National University of Arts, and the University of the Philippine Conservatory of Music.

At CSUS, Sia was a member the International Music Honor Society of Phi Kappa Lambda, the Academic Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and the Golden Key International Honor Society for academic excellence. He was a recipient for the talent-based music scholarship each semester through his graduation, and also received the CSUS Faculty Merit Scholarship Award in 1996 for academic achievement.

Currently, Sia is the pianist for the Sacramento Valley Concert Choir.

Upcoming concerts in the St. James Concert Series are Trio 180 on April 24 and Golden Bough on May 22. Both concerts will be held at The Red Church at 3 p.m.