A poised Anna Vavilova extends her graceful hand in welcome.

A celebrated pianist in her native Latvia, Vavilova opens the doors to her music studio, World of Music and Arts, to chat about her upcoming free concert this Sunday. The show, Pictures from Brueghel, is the world premier of Canadian composer Christopher Ludwig's work based on Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry by William Carlos Williams.

"William Carlos was an American poet, who in 1962 created a cycle of poems based on the paintings of mid-16th century Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel (1525-1569)," said Vavilova, who is also a recording artist, teacher, artistic director, writer, radio and television host and founder of Steveston's World of Music and Arts. "The Renaissance artist painted the peasant's way of life, their rituals, harvest times and weddings, such as The Adoration of the Kings (painted in 1564, it was a witty look at a country wedding)."

Also from Richmond, Ludwig composed the music from those poems based on the romantic form from that era, added Vavilova.

"Christopher and I knew each other from UBC and when we ran into each other a couple of months ago, we decided to collaborate on this concert," she said.

Vavilova will perform a 40-minute classical concert with Victoria baritone singer Cliff Ridley. "The space seats 60 so it will be very intimate," she said. "It will be a very interesting format as we will have a projector showcasing Brueghel's paintings as we sing."

When asked why she is going to such lengths to put on a free concert, Vavilova's passion for music becomes quite evident.

"I want to introduce people, especially seniors and stay-at-home moms who are free during the day, to the beauty of classical music by way of a series of free performances," said Vavilova. "I hope I can encourage people to learn to appreciate this style of music. Also, there isn't a place in Steveston where people can come and enjoy music for free."

One look at her long, elegant hands and one can sense she was born to tickle the ivories.

The 31-year-old first sat at the piano at three when she could barely see over the bench.

"My grandfather played five musical instruments and exposed me early on to his love of music," said Vavilova. "I remember the first time I realized I couldn't live without playing the piano . . . I was in my teens.

"I was on stage performing by the time I was 12. There's some kind of cosmic reaction that happens when I get on stage and suddenly everything makes sense."

So naturally talented was Vavilova that her school would send her as their protégée to all piano competitions in Latvia.

She went on to study at Latvian Musical College, where she garnered numerous awards for her excellence in piano playing. In 1996, Vavilova was featured on Russian national television as the winner in the Crystal Shoe, a prestigious music competition.

Vavilova immigrated to Canada that same year and in 1997 went on to graduate from Kwantlen University College, and then later, from UBC, where she received her master of music in piano performance. Forever pushing the artistic boundaries, Vavilova has taken master classes from world-renowned musicians such as Eugene Skovorodnikov, an award-winning pianist and professor at the UBC, Vadim Monastyrski and French pianist Alexandre Brussilovsky. "I was fortunate enough to perform duets with Eugene Skovorodnikov in Schubert's Fantasia," said Vavilova. "During the performance, my eyes started to tear up and I almost had a problem finishing because I was crying, I was so moved by the music."

She has also attended piano summer festivals in the United States, France and Russia. In 2002, Anna appeared with Vancouver Island Symphony. A few years later, she was a finalist at Pacific Spotlight Competition on CBC Radio Two, and was awarded a Vancouver Foundation Scholarship and a B.C. Arts Council Scholarship to continue her graduate studies.

Over the years, Vavilova has performed across the Lower Mainland, including the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and the Richmond Cultural Centre, as a soloist and a collaborative artist. She also hosts a monthly radio show Music Encore on CiTR 101.9 FM. Vavilova is also a founding director and vice-president of Music Encore Concert Society, which co-hosts Encore Concert Series and Richmond Lecture-Recitals Series, featuring international and local classical musicians.

The upcoming free concert, Pictures of Brueghel, takes place Sunday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. at the World of Music and Arts, 6231 London Rd., in the Grand Piano Hall.

"I'm hoping this is the first concert of many to come," she added. "We will perform 15 songs, the first one inspired by Brueghel's Self-Portrait as well as from some of his most famous works The Adoration of Kings and Peasant Wedding."

Following the performance, guests are invited to stay and mingle with the artists and fellow music lovers during a reception.

For more information, call 604-809-5730 or visit www.worldofmusicandarts.com.