The West Virginia University School of Music will host Oskar Espina-Ruiz for a guest recital at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in Bloch Hall at the Creative Arts Center.

A solo clarinetist from Spain, Espina-Ruiz is the artistic director of the Treetops Chamber Music

Society in the greater New York City area and clarinet artist and asstistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

In his latest project, Espina-Ruiz explores three great Romantic works from the unique perspective of the clarinet. Spanish-Basque composers J.C. Arriaga (1806-1826) and Andrés

Isasi (1890-1940), are heard side by side with Robert Schumann (1810-1856) to put a wide-angle lens on the Romantic era.

Over the years, Espina-Ruiz’s research on Basque and Spanish music has helped bring to light lesser known works by Ravel, Sarasate, Remacha, Arriaga, Guridi, Menéndez, Granados, Turina and others, expanding the repertoire for clarinet and piano. His latest project adds two major multi-movement works by fellow Bilbao natives: Arriaga’s Pastoral (String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat major) from ca. 1823, and Isasi’s Sonata in F minor, Op. 25, from 1917.

The recital is free and open to the public.