Dec. 18, 2007 Chillán, Chile

Rajmund Dabrowski/ANN

A complete catalogue of 6,000 concert manuscripts used by Chile’s most famous pianist Claudio Arrau (1908-1991) was developed by a Seventh-day Adventist professor and donated to a museum celebrating the musician’s life and work in the central Chilean city of Chillán.

The catalogue was classified by Professor Carlos Larrando, chairman of the School of Music at Chile Adventist University.

“This contribution from the Adventist University is invaluable to our community,” said Chillán mayor Aldo Bernussi. “Arrau is better known around the world than in the town where he was born. What the university contributed will benefit our local community.”

A plaque noting the achievement was unveiled December 17 by Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church during his two-day visit to Chile.

The manuscript catalogue, now part of the Claudio Arrau Interactive Museum, includes Arrau’s personal music collection, notes and an electronic search program for students and fans. A native of Chillán, Arrau was a child prodigy who became known internationally as one of the supreme keyboard masters of the 20th century. Critics referred to him as a “complete pianist.”

Chile Adventist University, well known in the community for its standard of education, celebrated its centenary in 2006 and has an enrollment of some 1,700 students.

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