André Loss’ fingers fluttered over the keys as audience members sat in a dimly lit room, multiple spotlights illuminating the pianist and the stage.

Loss performed “The Twelve Transcendental Etudes” by Franz Liszt on Tuesday in the Recital Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

As a foreign exchange student from Brazil, Loss received a scholarship to work with William Warfield to present master classes of students, according to Loss’ website.

Loss said he chose this performance because it was a big challenge and he wanted to learn from Liszt.

“The Twelve Transcendental Etudes” is a series of twelve compositions played by a solo piano player.

They were devised in 1851 and are considered one of the most difficult series of music to play.

Loss said these pieces were difficult to learn.

“It is stressful and I’ve been working on this for nine years,” Loss said. “When I was 11 years old, I told my mom I would play this whole set.”

This is the fourth time Loss has played the set for audience members.

Loss will have a repeat performance again in South Carolina on Feb. 16-17, according to his website.

Loss, who attended Eastern from 1990-91 for his master’s, also added two encores by Frédéric Chopin at the end of the show.

Loss said the one-hour, 20-minute performance was one of the longer shows he has performed.

Loss returned to Eastern first in 2010, when he planned a different piano solo.

Brittnee Snodgrass, a freshman pre-business management major, said she was impressed with how well Loss played.

Snodgrass is just beginning piano lessons.

Paul Johnston, a jazz studies professor at Eastern, said he could not imagine how tired Loss had to be from playing for that long.

Loss also made a guest appearance at a graduate student class where he listened to students play the piano and gave them feedback on their playing on Monday, Johnston said.

Bob Shaughnessy can be reached at 581-2812 or rrshaughnessy@eiu.edu.