Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts
 Summer FREE Concert @ NEC 2024
 夏日系列音樂會
 at New England Conservatory,
Boston, Massachusetts
 Aug 8 to 24, 2024
All concerts Admission Free, suggested donation $10 at door
Age 6 and under not admitted
 

 



Concerto semi final round

Saturday, August 17, 2024, 1:00-6:00 pm
at
NEC's Williams Hall


 information

10 semi finalists
 in alphabetical order of surname

Cai, Huiping
  		Chiang, Yun-Hsuan Du, Shangru Fa, Boyi* Han, Yixuan (Fafa)
Hong, Sahun Sam* Igubnov, Anton Wang, Wanyi Yao, Jialin Zhang, Sunny Lin Kai

Jurors:
  • Mr. Richard Dyer*, retired senior music critic of The Boston Globe, USA. Jury of international piano competitions including the Van Cliburn, Cleveland, Sendai, among others.
  • Professor Jung-Ja Kim, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, USA.
  • Professor Michael Lewin, Head Piano Department of The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, USA. Artistic Director of the Boston Conservatory Piano Masters Series.
  • Professor Sergey Schepkin, Carnegie Mellon University, and New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory, USA,
  • Mr. Channing Yu, Conductor Mercury Orchestra, USA,

*It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our dear and respected friend, Richard Dyer, on September 20th, at the age of 83. His departure is a tremendous loss to the world of classical music, far too soon. The Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts was honored to have Mr.Dyer serve on the jury panel of the Fou Ts’ong International Concerto Competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024, where his guidance and invaluable insights left a lasting impact. He will be profoundly missed. For more about Richard Dyer, please refer to this articles on The Boston Musical Intelligencer, and on Wikipedia, (music_critic).

Admission Free, suggested donation $10 at door.
Children under 6 not admitted.

 中華表演藝術基金會
Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts
Lincoln, Massachusetts

 
 

event photos: Xiaopei Xu and Chi Wei Lo



 
10 semi finalists
in alphabetical order of surname

Cai, Huiping, HongKong
 
 1. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 in Ab Major, mvt I
2. Stravinsky/Agosti: The Firebird

Charismatic and popular with audiences in recital and concerto settings, Huiping Cai is an engaging pianist renowned for her lyricism, musicality, and formidable technique. After winning First Prize, Best Concerto Award, and Best Recital Award at the 2017 Philadelphia International Piano Competition, she also won first prizes at the 2018 Miami Music Festival Piano Concerto Competition, the 2019 Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, Connecticut, the 2022 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and the 2023 New York Franz Liszt International Piano Competition.
Huiping made her Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall and Stern Auditorium Perelman Stage with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in 2023. As a soloist, Huiping has performed for audiences in countries such as the United States, Mexico, Russia, Kazakhstan, and her home country, China. She has also performed piano concertos with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong VTC Symphony Orchestra, Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazakhstan National Symphony Orchestra, Miami Music Festival Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and Temple University Symphony Orchestra.
Huiping received her M.M. in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory where she studied with Dang Thai Son and held a Teaching Assistantship. Huiping is currently pursuing her D.M.A. in Piano Performance & Literature under the tutelage of Alan Chow, alongside an M.M. in Piano Accompanying & Chamber Music with Dr. Andrew Harley at the Eastman School of Music.

Chiang, Yun-Hsuan Shannon, Taiwan
 
 1, Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata", mvt I
2, Prokofiev: Piano Sonata in A Major, Op. 82, mvt IV

Yun-Hsuan Shannon Chiang is currently a rising high school senior studying at the Juilliard Pre-College with Hung-Kuan Chen and Tema Blackstone. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Tokyo International Art Association Orchestra, Long-Tan Philharmonic Orchestra and Taipei International Orchestra. She has received prizes in international and domestic competitions, including the International Gyula Kiss Piano Competition, the Rachmaninov International Piano Competition in Japan, the Nan Yang International Music Competition, Nouvelles Étoiles Music Competition and ArsClassica International Junior Competition, and the Freshman Concert Audition in Tokyo. In addition, she has been awarded the Overseas College of Music Masterclass Grant and Dong-He Music Research Society KAWAI Music Scholarship and is a fellow of the Artemisia Foundation. As an avid performer, Shannon has been invited to perform in America, Europe, and Asia and has given performances in prestigious venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Van Cliburn Concert Hall, Paul Hall, Daiichi Seimei Hall and National Concert Hall in Taipei. She has taken masterclasses with renowned artists such as Guigla Katsarava, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Andrei Diev, Yukio Yokoyama, Dorian Lelijak, Jean-Marc Luisada, Ernest Barretta, Matti Raekallio, Vadym Kholodenko and Lorenzo Soulès. Outside of piano, she enjoys composing, playing the bassoon and learning different languages. Playing piano enabled her to explore the diversity of sound and expression, perceive the world through different lenses, and engage with people more actively through her love of sharing music.

Du, Shangru, China
 
 1, Mozart: Piano Sonata in D Major, K.311, mvt. I
2, Bartók: Three Etudes, Op.18
3, Chopin: Mazurka in A minor, Op.67, No.4

Shangru Du is a rising concert pianist, once described by the legendary pianist and scholar Paul Badura-Skoda as "... an extraordinary pianist brimming with musicianship." As a sought-after performer, Shangru has appeared at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and many other prestigious venues worldwide. Recently, he performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Eastman Philharmonia and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Boulder Symphony in Colorado.
Shangru has received numerous awards and scholarships for his academic and musical excellence. Recent prizes include first prize in the Yamaha Music Scholarship Piano Competition, two first prizes (Solo and Concerto) in the International Keyboard Odyssiad® Festival Competition, U.S.A. (2022), first prize in the Rubato International Piano Competition (2022), and winner of the Concerto Competition at the Eastman School of Music. He also won second prize in the Kawai Asian Piano Competition and first prize in the Yangtze Cup Piano Competition. Shangru also received the Pi Kappa Lambda award from the Theta Chapter of the National Music Honor Society for his excellent academic work and outstanding musicianship.
Shangru graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree, where he studied under the guidance of Matti Raekallio and Stanislav Ioudenitch. He subsequently earned a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, studying under Professors Matti Raekallio and Jerome Lowenthal. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral Degree in Piano Performance at the Eastman School of Music with Professor Douglas Humpherys.

Fa, Boyi, China  
* WITHDRAW DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS
 
 1, Beethoven: Piano Sonata no.29, Op.106, mvt I
2, Brahms: Paganini Variation Op.35, Book I

Making his solo debut at 12, Boyi Fa studied at the Wuhan Conservatory in China. He pursued his undergraduate studies and Master of Music degree in the United States at the New England Conservatory as a student of Bruce Brubaker.
During these years, he has won awards in many piano competitions, such as the first prize in the Juvenile Professional Group of “the 2012 Asia International Piano Competition,” the second prize in the “2013 YAMAHA Scholarship Competition,” the third prize in the “2014 China Central Television Piano Competition,” the first prize of “2019 and 2023 Piano Honor Competition” at New England Conservatory, the second prize of “2020 American Paderewski Piano Competition.” Boyi also participated in famous music festivals; he was selected by the “Music Academy of the West” with a full scholarship in 2018. In the same year, he was chosen from the New England Conservatory to participate in the “International Mendelssohn-Academy” with a full scholarship in Leipzig. So far, he has played many recitals and had performances, including Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Hahn Hall in Santa Barbara, Leipzig Conservatory Concert Hall, Davis Concert Hall in Fairbanks, China-Central-Television Concert Hall, Jordan Hall, and Williams Hall at New England Conservatory and Yamaha Center in New York City. In addition, he collaborated with some famous orchestras, such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra and China Eastern Symphony Orchestra. He performed Beethoven’s 5th concerto with the China Philharmonic Orchestra at China Central Television. China Central Television has broadcasted this performance recording.
As the only DMA candidate who was accepted by the piano performance department at the New England Conservatory in 2022, Boyi is currently studying with Bruce Brubaker."

Han, Yixuan (Fafa), China
 
 1. Scarlatti : Sonata K213 in D minor
2. Haydn: Sonata Hob 49 in Eb Major, mvt I
3. Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7, mvt III

Yixuan Han, an aspiring pianist, is advancing his studies in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of Michigan under the esteemed Professor Arthur Greene. His musical education is a journey marked by engagements with distinguished mentors and involvement in globally recognized festivals. His academic path includes a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory, under the tutelage of Dang Thai Son, Alexander Korsantia, and Gabriel Chodos, and a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory, guided by Professor Angela Cheng. His early foundation was laid at Shenyang Conservatory with Professor Danwen Wei.
Yixuan's performance history is illustrious, featuring appearances at notable venues such as the Rebecca Penneys Music Festival in the U.S., Beijing Music Festival in China, and Perugia Music Festival in Italy. He has also been highlighted at recent events like the Sicily Music Festival and Borromeo Music Festival in Switzerland. His excellence is further acknowledged through grand prize victories in esteemed competitions including the NSA International Music Competition, Charleson International Music Competition, and Concert Artist International Competition.
Yixuan Han is dedicated to continual improvement and passionate about sharing his musical gifts globally, as he navigates a promising career in the classical music。

Hong, Sahun Sam, USA    
* WITHDRAW DUE TO SCHEDULE CONFLICT

 
 1, Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D minor
     from Well-Tempered Clavier Book II, BWV 875
2, Beethoven: Sonata in C minor, Op. 111, mvt I
3, Brahms: Klavierstücke, Op. 119
      III. Intermezzo in C Major
      IV. Rhapsody in Eb Major
Praised as an “artist of enormous prowess” (Verbier Festival Newsletter) with “lots of clarity, confidence, and wisdom” (New York Concert Review) and a “wide range of rich colors” (San Diego Story), pianist Sahun Sam Hong brings his colorful style and riveting energy to the solo, chamber, and concerto stage.
Hong was the winner of the 2017 Vendome Prize at Verbier, and a prizewinner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and International Beethoven Competition Vienna. He was also the recipient of a 2021 American Pianists Award.
On the roster of Young Steinway Artists since 2010, Hong has been featured as a guest soloist with orchestras including ORF-Vienna, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Camerata New York, Fort Worth, Richardson, Racine, Waco, Galveston, and Brazos Valley Symphony. He has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, Église de Verbier, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center.
A sought-after interpreter of the duo and chamber repertoire, Hong has been invited to perform at major chamber music festivals including Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Institute, Taos, and Four Seasons. He is an artist at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
In addition to performing, Hong is a prolific arranger of chamber music and orchestral works, and his innovative transcriptions are performed all over the world. The chamber music collective ensemble132 presents Hong’s creative transcriptions on annual tours throughout the United States.
At the age of 16, Hong graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University (TCU), studying with John Owings. He also studied with Leon Fleisher and Yong Hi Moon at the Peabody Institute. Hong is currently based in New York City, and serves on the faculty of CUNY Queens College.

Igubnov, Anton, Russia
 
 1, Mozart: Sonata in A minor K.310, mvt I
2, Rachmaninoff: Selected Preludes-Romances (arr. for solo piano by Earl Wild)
      In the silent night Op.4 No. 3
     O, cease thy singing op. 4 No 4
     Floo ds of spring Op. 14 No 11

Anton Igubnov is a pianist, composer, music researcher, and educator. He has had a successful international career of over 20 years, as a professor and musical performer. He is a laureate of various international competitions, and has authored several educational programs and articles for music institutions. Anton has also appeared as a soloist with symphonic orchestras, and has been the recipient of scholarships from international funds as well as state awards.
He earned his bachelor's degree with honors from the Chopin College of Arts in Moscow, Russia. He then went on to obtain his master's degree (also with honors), and a DMA from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
Anton is a laureate in major competitions such as the Grieg International Competition in Bergen, Norway, the International Piano Concerto Competition in Shenzhen, China, the Brahms International Competition in Austria, and others. He worked at the Moscow Conservatory in the Piano Department, and also served as a visiting professor at Sakuyo University in Kurashiki, Japan.
As a distinguished representative of the rich Russian piano school, Anton combines piano performance with composition. In 2018, he published his vocal cycle "The Gallery of Reflections," based on a collection of his own poems. In 2020, he completed an arrangement of the Symphonic Dances by S. Rachmaninoff for Piano Solo.
Anton has performed in concert halls in Russia, Japan, Germany, Holland, Norway, China, the USA, and other countries.
Anton is highly active in creative and concert activities, performing concerts and conducting master classes around the world, as well as participating in various international music festivals and forums.

Wang, Wanyi, China
 
 1, Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit, Scarbo
2, Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3, mvt I

Chinese born pianist WANYI WANG has demonstrated her musical individuality through various performing experiments. Having made her orchestral debut with the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, performed Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto conducted by Wei Danwen in Taiwan, Ms. Wang has successfully made appearances in notable halls worldwide, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Kilbourn Hall in Rochester, Shanghai Concert Hall, Steinway Hall in Beijing, Chengpin Performing Arts Center in Taipei, etc. She has been praised and performed with masters such as Fou Ts’ong, Robert McDonald, Jerome Lowenthal and Dmitri Bashkirov. Meanwhile, Ms. Wang has dedicated herself to teaching as a faculty member of the China Conservatory of Music in China since 2019. Ms. Wang’s growing musicianship won her prizes such as the American Protégé International Competition in 2019 and ‘Best Shostakovitch Prize’ in the American Richmond Piano Competition. Earlier awards include the first prize in the 2001 Jiangxi Province Piano Competition, as well as two special prizes in the National Sander Piano Competition and the China Four Municipalities Piano Competition.
Ms. Wang’s talents were recognized early on when she was accepted into the primary school of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Receiving bachelor of music and master of music degree from the Eastman School of Music under Barry Snyder and Alexander Kobrin, Wang then continued her studies at the Boston University School of Music with the guidance of Gila Goldstein. While at Eastman, Wang was selected to perform with Renee Fleming and the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra at Lincoln Center. She was also honored with the Lois Smith Rogers Scholarship, which is awarded annually to two Eastman students. Currently as a faculty member at the China Conservatory, Wang continues to be an active performer, contributing her roles to the musical landscape.

Yao, Jialin, China
 
 1, Granados: Spanish Dance No. 2 (Oriental)
2, Beethoven Sonata in Eb Major, Op. 27, No.1 "Quasi una fantasia"
       I,  Andante–Allegro–Andante
      II, Allegro molto e vivace
3, Scriabin: Fantasy, Op. 28

Pianist Jialin Yao has been hailed for his “mature, sensitive and polished playing with serious attitude towards music making and a strong mindset for interpretive details” (Dmitri Alexeev). His love of bringing warmth, passion, and magic to audiences has led to performances throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Being a multi-dimensional musician, Jialin Yao not only appears on the stage as a chamber musician and collaborator, but is also committed to piano teaching. He served as a secondary piano course teacher and college staff pianist at the Juilliard School. He is a firm believer that the most moving music can only come from the most open-hearted and truthful human beings.
Jialin Yao has been a Prize-winner in numerous competitions such as Málaga City International Piano Competition, Friuli Venezia Giulia International Piano Competition, Teresa Carreño Master Piano Competition, IKOF International Piano Competition, Singapore International Piano Competition, Steinway Piano Competition, Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition, Santa Cecilia International Piano Competition, and many others. Jialin Yao has been invited to perform at today’s most important music festivals such as PianoFest in New York, Gilmore Festival in Kalamazoo, Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and Verbier Festival in Switzerland.
Jialin Yao was born in China in 1999. He began to play piano at the age of 4. In 2011 Jialin Yao entered the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing where he studied with Hong Fu. Since 2020, he received guidance from pianist Ruoyu Huang. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in China, Jialin Yao moved to the United States to earn his Master’s degree at the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Maestro Sergei Babayan. Now he is continuing his studies with Maestro Babayan at SMU Meadows School of the Arts pursuing an Artist Diploma.

Zhang, Sunny Lin Kai, Canada
 
 1, Beethoven: Sonata in Ab Major, Op. 110, mvt I
2, Rachmaninoff: Sonata in Bb minor, Op. 36, mvt 1
3, Liszt: Grandes Etudes de Paganini, No. 3 "La Campanella"

19-year-old pianist Sunny Lin Kai Zhang has performed in some of the foremost venues in the world, including New York Carnegie Hall Weill and Stern auditoriums, Steinway Hall, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Beijing Concert Hall, Van Cliburn Concert Hall, Vancouver Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Chan Centre, and Orpheum Theatre. He has performed numerous concertos with the Rimsky-Korsakov String Quartet in Canada, and the Grosseto Symphony Orchestra in Italy. He has performed with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra. In February 2024, he performed Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in Vancouver Metropolitan Opera’s concert season, to a sold-out 2800-seat Vancouver Orpheum Theatre.
Sunny has participated in many competitions: He won First Prizes at the Seattle International Piano Competition, the Carmel Clavier International Piano Competition in solo and concerto categories, the Orbetello International Piano Competition for Young Artists, and the Pacific International Piano Competition. He won top prizes at Steinway, San Jose, Sviatoslav Richter, Lancaster, and Enkor International Piano Competition, among many others. In Canada, he won second prize in the Canadian Music Competition, First prize at Provincial Arts BC, received RCM’s Gold Medal for the highest grade in the LRCM certificate and became a Steinway Young Artist at the age of 16.
Frequently participating in International Masterclasses around the world, Sunny has worked with renowned professors such as Gary Graffman, Dang Thai Song, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Lydia Artymiw, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Robert Levin, Rena Shereshevskaya, Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Jon Nakamatsu, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Susan Starr, Eleanor Sokoloff, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Alexander Braginsky.
Sunny’s main teachers have included long-time mentor Eugene Skovorodnikov and renowned professor Matti Raekallio. He is currently a sophomore at the Juilliard School of Music, studying with Hung-Kuan Chen.
 
 



Thank you for your generous contribution to
Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts

中華表演藝術基金會
Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts
Lincoln,  Massachusetts