**UPDATE 1/25/12: Eastman School of Music announced that this concert has been cancelled. No additional information was given.**

Because Time magazine made the claim in 1988 that Leigh Howard Stevens is "the world's greatest classical marimbist," my curiosity was piqued. It turns out that Stevens created the four-mallet technique that broke through repertoire limitations for the instrument. On Thursday, Stevens will perform works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Helble, and...Stevens. Stevens is also a composer and publisher, having founded Marimba Productions in 1979 to self-publish his manual on four-mallet playing. He holds patents for keyboard-percussion designs through his company, Malletech. And Stevens founded Resonator Records, specializing in keyboard percussion music. You can read more of his interesting story at mostlymarimba.com.

Leigh Howard Stevens plays Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m. at Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music, 26 Gibbs St. Free. 274-1100, esm.rochester.edu