Sarah Royster in concert

When UNC Asheville sophomore Sarah Royster was six years old, her father found and refurbished an old piano. Royster started taking Suzuki method piano lessons and now, years later, she is one of a handful of Americans who will perform Beethoven's "Für Elise" in the prestigious Suzuki Piano Basics International 10-piano Concert in Matsumoto, Japan.

Royster, who performed in a similar 10-Piano concert in Sacramento, Calif., in 2005, will perform "Für Elise" by Beethoven in Japan on April 27.

Royster's training has been primarily classical in the Suzuki method. "You learn to play music like you learn a language," Royster said. "First you learn to play and then you learn to read music."
Along with her piano teacher, Suzanne Dixon of Asheville, Royster will travel to Japan on April 10 and stay with a host family. Though much of her time there will be spent practicing with the other students and on her own, there will be some time for her to sightsee with her host family.