LEWISTON – Tamara Poddubnaya, one of Russia’s foremost pianists and a master teacher, will return to perform at the Franco-American Heritage Center Saturday, May 3. She will perform works by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The unusual two-part Piano Series program will also feature an afternoon recital by one of her students, 18-year-old Evgeni Genchev, one of Europe’s most promising young pianists.

At 4 p.m., Genchev will play works by Bach, Liszt and Schumann.

A distinguished graduate of St. Petersburg’s Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, Dr. Poddubnaya has established herself as one of Russia’s foremost keyboard artists and piano teachers. Renowned for her masterful command of a vast repertoire, she has performed in Europe and in the United States. Patrons of last season’s Piano Series will remember her interpretations of Schumann and Chopin.

Poddubnaya frequently serves on juries at international piano competitions and keeps a busy schedule of teaching and performing in Russia, the Netherlands and the United States, where she is professor of piano at the Long Island Conservatory and visiting professor at the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Genchev is completing his studies at the National School of Music and Dance Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He is a student of Dr. Poddubnaya in her preparatory course at the Prince Claus Conservatorium, Groningen, the Netherlands. Since he accompanied his teacher on a private visit to the Franco center in July 2006, he has won first prize in piano competitions in the Netherlands, Bulgaria and the LISMA Festival Competition at SUNY-Old Westbury, Long Island.

Last summer while participating in Music Without Borders, the international piano festival held at Gould Academy in Bethel, Evgeni visited the Franco center and played its Steinway concert grand piano. He now returns for his first public recital.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors. All seats reserved. A single ticket admits listeners to both recitals. Students 21 and under will be admitted without charge. For tickets, call the box office at 689-2000. For more information, visit www.francoamericanheritage.org.