"Homage to Conlon Nancarrow," with works by Nancarrow, Igor Stravinsky and György Ligeti performed by the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday in Slee Concert Hall on the North Campus.

A companion photo exhibit featuring photos from the personal collection of Nancarrow's biographer, Juergen Hocker, president of the German Association for Mechanical Instruments, will be on display through Nov. 17 in the Music Library in Baird Hall on the North Campus during regular library hours.

The exhibit is curated by Helena Bugallo, a lecturer in the Department of Music and member of the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo along with Amy Williams of Northwestern University, and coordinated by John Bewley, music-library archivist.

A trumpet player devoted to jazz in his early years, Nancarrow studied in Boston, then enlisted in 1937 to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. His socialist beliefs made him unacceptable in the United States upon his return, so he moved to Mexico City and turned his talents to the player piano.

Why pay homage to Nancarrow?

"Nancarrow is a very important musical figure of the second half of the 20th century-both extremely original and influential," Bugallo says. "His music, however, is not often performed in concerts because most of it was written for the player piano, an instrument that music halls simply do not have."

Nancarrow was one of the first composers writing specifically for the player piano, which became popular during the 1920s, she says. Moreover, "he was devoted only to the player piano for more than 40 years, which is absolutely unique," Bugallo points out.

"He exploited the potentialities of this medium thoroughly, somehow inventing its own particular idiom."

Bugallo notes that in the 1980s, the late pianist Yvar Mikhashoff, UB professor of music, arranged some of Nancarrow's player-piano works for mixed instrumental ensemble.

"Our (piano duo's) involvement with Nancarrow descends from Mikhashoff's initiative," she says.

"Why Nancarrow?" she asks. "Because his fantastic music deserves to be heard and celebrated."

The Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo also will perform "Homage to Conlon Nancarrow" in Chicago on Monday and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 28.