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Pianist Alexander Tutunov has played in concerts across the globe, including Juneau, which has earned a special place in his heart with its enclave of richly talented musicians, he said.

"It's one more amazing thing about Juneau," he said about its musicians.

The University of Alaska Southeast presents Alexander Tutunov in concert with violinists Steve Tada and Franz Felkl at 7 p.m. tonight in the Egan Lecture Hall. Although admission is free, seating is limited to 150 people.

Tonight's concert is the culmination of a piano master class Tutunov has been holding on weekends at UAS. Along with private lessons as part of the curriculum, he has been lecturing on piano theory and technique to several dozen students over four weekend sessions.

Tutunov, born in Belarus, said he wanted to present a concert that would capture the interest of people, so he thought of one consisting entirely of sonatas. A sonata is an extended piece of music for soloists or small ensembles that usually consists of several movements.

Tutunov and Tada will perform Mozart's "Sonata No. 24 in F Major" on piano and violin. Felkl will accompany Tutunov for Beethoven's "Sonata No. 1 in D Major." And Tutunov will perform Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor."

"They are all written within about 50 years of each other, and yet they are so excitingly different from each other," Tutunov said.

The sonatas were composed in the late 18th or early 19th centuries and highlight an important time for music, he said.

"That's the project, to show the evolution of the genre," he added.

Tutunov said he selected Tada and Felkl to perform with him because of their abilities and talent.

"Over the years I had the privilege to work with both of those musicians and I just feel they are at an exceptional level," Tutunov said.

Felkl, a 16-year-old junior at Juneau-Douglas High School, said he has played with Tutunov before but has never performed in concert with him.

"I'm excited about that," Felkl said. "We've both been wanting to play with each other for awhile."

Felkl said he enjoys playing with Tutunov due to his immense musical experience, but also simply because it's enjoyable.

"I love his personality in general, and his personality comes out in his playing," Felkl said. "He's just hilarious and just a fun person to be around."

"He wears his emotions on his sleeves, that's for sure, and he really brings out what the composers intended to convey," Tada said of Tutunov.

Something of note about the concert is that when the sonatas were written they were referred to as piano sonatas with violin accompaniment, Tada said.

"Nowadays they're referred to as violin sonatas with piano accompaniment," he said. "So it's kind of interesting how that has been flipped around recently."

But Tada said he is happy to accompany Tutunov in concert.

"He's really fun to play with and he just follows you so well and everything that what he suggests is all for the musical intent for the piece," Tada said. "I really enjoy and am honored to be playing with him."

Tutunov will be in Juneau just briefly before returning home to Ashland, Ore., where he is the professor of piano and artist in residence at Southern Oregon University. He said he has been keeping busy between teaching and performing 25 to 30 concerts a year.

Tutunov released an album in Europe last month of the Tchaikovsky "Concert Fantasy" with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, which he hopes to have released in the United States next month.

Anybody who has had a music lesson or simply enjoys music will enjoy tonight's concert, Tutunov said.

"It sounds like something enjoyable for the geeks, but it's not," he said. "It's actually going to be pretty incredible."

• Contact reporter Eric Morrisonat 523-2269 or eric.morrison@juneauempire.com.