Music enthusiasts will be privy to witness a Penn State cellist achieve a lifelong goal this Sunday evening.

Justin Lewis (graduate-cello performance and orchestral conducting), accompanied by the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra, will entertain the audience with Dvorák's Cello Concerto in B Minor at 8 p.m. in the Eisenhower Auditorium.

With two professional musicians as parents, Lewis picked up a cello at the age of three, and has not put it down since.

"A couple years ago, I made a list of goals, and playing this concerto with an orchestra was on there," he said.

Gerardo Edelstein, the director of the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra, said Lewis was selected by faculty members in the annual "concerto competition" to play his solo with the orchestra.

Edelstein said the selection decision is based on musicianship, quality and preparation, among other things.

"[Lewis] has a beautiful sound from his cello and excellent technique," Edelstein said.

Lewis said he chose Dvorák's concerto because it is often referred to as "the king of cello concertos."

Believing for much of his life that a concerto couldn't be written for a cello, Dvorák finally decided to compose one after coming to the United States. He created one of the most well known concertos for any instrument, Lewis said.

Comparing playing Dvorák's piece to running a marathon, Lewis said the music is technically challenging throughout the entire piece.

"I'm going to be nervous, but after a while, you just have to relax and have fun," he said.

Lewis, who has been preparing for the performance since January, said he feels an audience knows when a musician is not enjoying himself.