When Richard Cionco moved to Sacramento from New York, he encountered a concert scene that was lacking in piano music.

That was in 1993, and Cionco wasted no time doing something about it. A year later he founded the Piano Series at California State University, Sacramento, where he is a music professor.

"It sort of grew out of what I perceived as a need for solo piano recitals in Sacramento. There were not a lot of artists passing through," Cionco said.

And for Cionco, a Juilliard-trained pianist, that also meant that there were few opportunities for him to perform. Cionco performed as part of the series then, and he will do so again in 2009-10.

Over the years the scope and stature of this humble series has grown, but it is still relatively unknown.

The series now offers five concerts a year, with many of its artists owning international concert careers. For its new season, the works performed will range from Bach to a work by Sacramento-born composer Sunny Knable.

And as it has grown it has also reached out to young local pianists in the form of the Valencia Young Pianist Competition, which Cionco added to the series four years ago.

Keeping the series viable has not been easy. CSUS contributes only $2,500, which covers the cost of bringing one artist to Sacramento, Cionco said. Most of the required funds come from private donors. But the series is highly regarded by pianists, with many agreeing to perform for less pay than they could demand elsewhere.

"The good thing is now you don't have to travel to San Francisco for good piano music," he said. "Because this is a first-class series, and the kind that could happen anywhere from New York City to Hong Kong. The pianists are world-class players. And the price of admission makes it possible for anyone to come."

Indeed, the series remains one of the least-expensive tickets for high-quality piano music. The admission price for the concerts is $12, and $10 for students and seniors. All recitals are held at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall at Capistrano Hall, CSUS.

For the first time, the series is devoting one of its concerts to a rising star.

That will happen when the series opens with 22-year-old Iranian-born pianist Sara Daneshpour on Sept. 26. Daneshpour won first prize in the 2002 Beethoven Society of America piano competition.

"My goal is to have a young pianist who is receiving notoriety in the major centers of the world, and Sara is certainly that," Cionco said.

A homegrown flavor will be imparted to the series when Cionco plays "American Variations," a work by Sacramentan Sunny Knable, 26.

That performance anchors the third concert of the series, on Nov. 21, in a program that include works by Chopin, Liszt and Alberto Ginastera.

Knable, a McClatchy High School alum, wrote "American Variations" expressly for Cionco. The 27-minute work explores a theme though 15 variations.

"The variations are wonderfully diverse. Sunny creates different vignettes and uses recognizable forms like the march, toccata, fugue, minuet and even ragtime music," said Cionco. "The piece is very approachable while remaining absolutely progressive."

"It took me a year to write it," said Knable, who lives in New York City and is making his own way as a pianist.

Knable said that when Cionco asked him to write the work, Cionco stipulated that the piece be long but not too long, challenging but not too difficult, and that it display the different tonal colors that can be conjured at the piano.

"It became a much longer and much more difficult piece than planned," said Knable.

Having the piece performed at CSUS' piano series is fitting for Knable. It was that series which opened him up to the world of the piano and the many pianists who concertize on it. And it is also fitting since Knable is a recent graduate of CSUS' music department.

"Richard always brings some great musicians to the festival, like Pascal Roge," said Knable.

He sees the series as offering an indispensable opportunity to get an introduction to music for those who are developing a love for music but are not getting exposure to it in school.

Call Bee arts critic Edward Ortiz, (916) 321-1071.