I dedicate this recital in memory of a true hero, my captain - Russell Sherman. Minsoo Sohn ~ Program ~ Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Consolations, S.172 Consolation No. 1 in E major:  Andante con moto Consolation No. 2 in E major:  Un poco più mosso Consolation No. 3 in D-flat major:  lento placido Consolation No. 4 in E major:  Quasi Adagio Consolation No. 5 in E major:  Andantino Consolation No. 6:  Allegretto sempre cantabile ~ intermission ~ Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Transcendental Études, S.139 Etude No. 1 in C Major, "Prelude" Etude No. 2 in A Minor Etude No. 3 in F Major, "Paysage" (Landscape) Etude No. 4 in D Minor, "Mazeppa" Etude No. 5 in B-flat Major, "Feux follets" (Will-o’-the-wisps) Etude No. 6 in G Minor, "Vision" Etude No. 7 in E-flat Major, "Eroica" Etude No. 8 in C Minor, "Wilde Jagd" (Wild hunt) Etude No. 9 in A-flat Major, "Ricordanza" (Remembrance) Etude No. 10 in F Minor Etude No. 11 in D-flat Major, "Harmonies du soir" (Evening harmonies) Etude No. 12 in B-flat Minor, "Chasse-neige" (Blizzard)   Minsoo Sohn gave stunning accounts of Liszt’s Consolations and Transcendental at Jordan Hall on Friday. Minsoo’s mastery is evident, his playing nuanced, his dynamic control exquisite, his shaping of phrases clear, the use of rubato thoughtful. Wha Kyang Byun, brilliant pianist and instructor, was Minsoo’s teacher for 12 years at NEC. She described (Liszt’s Transcendental) etudes as Mount Everest. Playing all of them at once is a Herculean effort, requiring not only physical endurance, but the mental challenge of keeping one’s concentration for one hour and five minutes of brutally difficult repertoire. The late Russell Sherman, to whose remembrance this recital was dedicated, was married to Wha Kyung Byun and his 1976 recording of these etudes is just amazing, and obviously influenced Minsoo’s performance. And just as Russell Sherman passed the baton of the Liszt etudes to Minsoo, so Minsoo passed it to his pupil Yunchan (Lim), who recorded the etudes live in Ft. Worth in 2022. -Boston Musical Intelligencer

photos: Chung Cheng



photos: Chutze Chou


event photos: Xiaopei Xu and Chi Wei Lo

 
Minsoo Sohn, piano
https://minsoosohn.com/

"A genuine artist, with a thoughtfully conceived and poetic interpretation." – New York Times
Sohn plays with a thrilling, personal, hall-filling sound that is also flexible, vocal, and immediate; he was born to play the piano. One can feel absolutely certain that Sohn is an artist, a man who will create life in music, find listeners, and reward them. – Boston Globe
Mr. Sohn illuminated here with a thoughtfully conceived and poetic interpretation, enhanced by tasteful ornamentation. Mr. Sohn’s crisp articulation rendered the fast, virtuosic numbers a delight, and he imbued the slower sections with an appealing intimacy. – New York Times
Sohn tosses off the fearsome technical challenges without breaking stride while at the same time elegantly colouring each mood. – Toronto star
These were deeply considered, tightly knit performances in which every bar seamlessly followed another and also filled its right place in the whole. It is virtually impossible to pick his interpretations apart, point to details, it all seemed consequent and inevitable…His performance stood out for its steady pace and progression, its splendid clarity and consistency of tone, and the elegance of the melodic lines. Playing a modern instrument in the same way he played the Webern and the Brahms, he was able, as I mentioned above, to do justice to modern technique and the Baroque origins of the music. Sohn’s approach was so free from mannerisms and so well integrated. In its rigor, elegance, and integrity, Minsoo Sohn’s interpretation is the most satisfying I have heard in recent years. – New York Arts

Minsoo Sohn is a Korean American pianist known for his musical intelligence and masterful virtuosity. Described by the New York Times as "a genuine artist, with a thoughtful and poetic interpretation" and the Boston Globe as "born to play the piano," Sohn continues to expand his reputation as one of the foremost pianists of his day. Sohn has toured extensively throughout North and South America, Europe, Israel and Korea and has appeared in important venues and festivals.

Sohn is particularly noted for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and the New York Times praised his Honens-label recording of the work as a "beautifully articulated, radiant interpretation," placing it one of the top classical recordings of 2011. His recordings also received critical acclaim by New Yorker Magazine, Plain Dealer, Gramophone, Calgary Herald and Toronto Star among others.

In 2020, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Mr. Sohn concluded his four year immersion in the composer’s music, which has included concert series, recordings and writings. Over the course of his Beethoven project, Mr. Sohn performed and recorded the composer’s thirty-two sonatas in series of recitals at Seoul Arts Center and recording sessions at Tongyeong Concert Hall. The recital series also included Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli Variations and Bagatelles. The Sony Classical released the highly anticipated nine-album set of "Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas" in the Fall of 2020.

He held positions at Michigan State University and Korean National University of Arts before joining his alma mater, New England Conservatory, in Fall 2023.
He is indebted to Russell Sherman and Wha Kyung Byun for guiding him to follow his bliss.
 

NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
By Dr. Jannie Burdeti
 

  March 2,2024

中華表演藝術基金會第35屆音樂季第3場音樂會，將於3月8日週五晚上八時，邀請韓國鋼琴名家 Minsoo Sohn 在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳 (Jordan Hall) 舉行一場鋼琴獨奏會。曲目包括：李斯特的安慰曲 Consolations S. 172 和超凡練習曲 Transcendental Etudes S. 139。

票價為 $20 (7-13歲)、$40、$60。提供學生免費票(14歲以上)，及非學生贈送卷。需事前預訂。6歲以下兒童請勿入場。詳情請在中華表演藝術基金會的官網查詢. 線上售票3月8日下午2時將關閉。現場門票售價為10美元，僅限現金支付。

Minsoo Sohn 高超的藝術才華與獨特的音樂詮釋，廣泛受到評論家和觀眾的讚賞。

《纽约时报》形容 他为 “ 一位真正的艺术家，具有深思熟虑的理念和诗意的解释。”《波士顿环球报》赞扬他 “以令人激动、个人化、充满音响的方式演奏，富有弹性。他天生就是为钢琴而生。”

在紐約卡內基音樂廳 (Carnegie Hall)演奏後，紐約音樂會評論 (New York Concert Review)說：『…展現了鋼琴大師之風範….總能輕鬆的克服駕馭所有能夠想像以及難以想像的難度挑戰…親和的風格，自信純熟的技巧，勾畫優美的旋律，完整無缺的全面音樂呈現。』

Minsoo Sohn 三歲開始學習鋼琴。大學起就在波士頓新英格蘭音樂學院,習師於鋼琴大師羅素謝爾曼 (Russell Sherman) 和 Wha Kyung Byun。2004年他在英格蘭音樂學院取得最高藝術家文憑 (Artistic Diploma)。我们谨以这场音乐会来纪念几个月前逝世的Russell Sherman 先生。

Minsoo Sohn 是2006年加拿大Honens 國際鋼琴大賽第一名獎。及克利夫蘭大賽 (Cleveland) 銀牌獎，Hilton Head 一等獎，Busoni, 魯賓斯坦, 伊麗莎白女王, 和 Santander  等國際鋼琴大賽特等獎。

他已多次在北美、歐洲和以色列各種重要場地和節日慶典中表演。曾和多位知名指揮大師和樂團合作。2008 他出了首張唱片，多倫多星報(Toronto Star)報導描述 “他優雅的，從容的騰躍過驚險的技術挑戰…”。

Minsoo Sohn 以其對巴赫的《哥德堡變奏曲》的詮釋而聞名，《紐約時報》稱讚他的錄音作品為「一個美麗而清晰的詮釋」，將其列為2011年最佳古典音樂錄音之一。

在2020年，正值貝多芬誕辰250周年之際，Minsoo Sohn 在首爾藝術中心的一系列獨奏會，演奏並錄製了貝多芬的三十二首奏鳴曲。獨奏會系列還包括貝多芬巨著的《迪亞貝利變奏曲》和小品集 (Diabelli Variations and Bagatelles)。在2020年秋季發行了廣受期待的九張專輯組合《完整貝多芬鋼琴奏鳴曲集》(Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas)。

在2023 返回母校新英格蘭音樂學院任教之前，Minsoo Sohn 曾在密歇根州立大學和韓國藝術大學任職。他的一位學生 Yunchan Lim 任奫燦 在2022年贏得了范克魯本 (Van Cliburn) 國際鋼琴比賽冠軍，成為該比賽有史以來最年輕的獲獎者 (18歲). Yunchan Lim 正繼續跟隨 Minsoo Sohn 在新英格蘭音樂學院學習。