When SRJC professor Rudolf Budginas picked up the piano at age four and seemed to have a knack for it, no one was surprised. After all he was born to a family of renowned musicians in the former U.S.S.R.

But since then Budginas artistry  has transformed into something a bit more surprising. Classically trained, he knows all the rules to the classical form and knows just how to break them. And break them he shall during a live performance at 7: 30 p.m. Friday night  in Newman Auditorium.

The Presentation titled, “The Classically Untraditional Rudolf Budginas” will seek to break those rules and offer further surprises, something Budginas believes is lacking from the music penned hundreds of years ago.

“I feel that this music has lost its connection to people. The our culture is mixing and diverging with every other and music nowadays spans all genres and lacks any barriers,” Budginas said. “I’m looking to do the same with these classic pieces. If I can pump new life into the music, I can make these masterpieces relevant once again.”

As a new professor this semester, this presentation is  Budginas’s formal introduction to the SRJC community. But he doesn’t plan on introducing himself quietly. He is looking to surprise others. He’s looking to tear down any preconceived barriers on what we think is possible and maybe surprise himself.

Budginas said, “I will try and bring the wall down between the performer and the audience, and hopefully people will leave with new thoughts about music, piano, artistry and taste.”