The world premiere of two new musical compositions at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in the Concert Hall at Fresno State will focus on two historic visionaries – Nikola Tesla and Ada Lovelace. The concert, “Tesla & Lovelace: Songs of Vision and Strife,” will be preceded by a free talk at 7 p.m. with composer Dr. Kenneth D. Froelich, a professor of theory and composition in the Music Department. Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American inventor who contributed to the development of the alternating-current electrical system widely used today. His “Tesla coil” is still used in radio technology. The first song cycle is called “In My Mind’s Eye: Songs of Nikola Tesla,” featuring tenor-baritone Constantine Pappas and two-channel electronic accompaniment. The texts were written by Allison Armerding, and they alternate from the perspective of Tesla as an inventor and other moments that deal with his difficulties with depression. The other song cycle is “Finite Differences: Songs of Ada Lovelace,” featuring soprano Ann Moss and the Hausmann String Quartet. The texts for this piece were written by John Grimmett. Lovelace (1815-1852) was a gifted mathematician, and is considered to have written instructions for the first computer program in the mid-1800s. Tickets are $15 general, $10 for employees and seniors, and free for students. See more details.