Program:
(subject to change)
Pius Cheung, Classical Marimba soloist
Pius Cheung: Etudes in C
Major and E Minor
J. S. Bach: Goldberg Variations
--- intermission ---
Peng Peng Gong, piano
Mozart: Fantasy in C minor, K.475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor, K. 457
I. Allegro
II. Adagio|
III. Molto allegro
Rachmaninoff:
Elegie, Op.3 No. 1
Ravel/Peng Peng: La
Valse
(transcripted
by Peng Peng based on Ravel’s orchestral score.)
Meet the Artists:
Pius Cheung, Marimba Artist & Composer
“Absolutely Incredible!” – PAS
Percussive Notes Magazine
“Pius
Cheung is a remarkably gifted and accomplished young artist.” – Gary Graffman
As one of today’s
most promising marimba artists and composers, Pius Cheung has captured audiences around
the world with performances of compositions by contemporary composers, as well as his own
compositions and arrangements of music from the classical masters, most notably
Bach’s Complete 'Goldberg Variations’.
The Chinese-Canadian
marimbist began his musical journey on the piano at age 5 and the marimba at age 9. In his teenage years, Pius has performed
extensively on national tours throughout Canada and was a marimba soloist at the World
Music Forum 1999 representing Canada. At age
17, he entered the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in the U. S. During his studies there, Pius was awarded 1st
prize at the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Albert Greenfield Concerto Competition, which
led to his U. S. concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center. Since then, he has been actively performing
internationally on tours to countries including Russia, Australia, Holland, Mexico, China,
Canada, and the U. S.
Recent engagements
include concerto appearances with the British Columbia Chamber Orchestra and
Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, as well as concerts and masterclasses at Jordan Hall,
Edmonton Recital Society, Hong Kong Arts Festival, the V Festival Internacional de
Marimbistas, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, Amsterdam Conservatory, Curtis Institute of Music,
Boston Conservatory, Universities of Michigan, South Florida, Central Florida, Illinois,
Boston, and many other well known institutes around the world.
In July 2006, Pius
released his debut CD album of J. S. Bach's Complete Goldberg Variations, arranged for
solo marimba by him. It is the first ever
recording of this Bach monument on marimba. Since
its release, the album has received rave reviews and has been aired frequently on CBC
Radio Canada, and National Public Radio US.
As a composer, Pius was
awarded 1st prize winner of Classical Marimba League 2007 Composition
Competition for his ‘Three Preludes’. He
has written numerous works for the marimba which are gaining increasing popularity from
his peers worldwide. His works include a set
of five Musical Moments, Marimba Concerto with String Orchestra, Sonata No. 1
"Vitanata", Ballade for Eriko Daimo, Symphonic Poem for solo marimba, and a
collection of smaller pieces including Etudes, Nocturnes, and Preludes. His music is
published by the Connecticut Hills Music Publishing Company and MPC Music Publishing.
Pius is a Yamaha
Performing Artist and Vic Firth endorser. He received his Bachelor of Music from the
Curtis Institute of Music, and his Artist Diploma from The Boston Conservatory.
* * * * *
Reviews
& Quotes
“Pius Cheung is a remarkably gifted and
accomplished young artist. I always enjoy listening to his elegant and virtuosic
music-making.” - Gary Graffman
* * * * *
“Absolutely
Incredible! Cheung adds a tasty amount of
musical nuances that Bach would have likely approved of had he heard today’s modern
marimba." - PAS Percussive Notes Magazine
* * * * *
”….. An
excellent alternative to the usual keyboard version of this Bach masterpiece. As Charles
Ives would have said, "A real ear-stretcher." - John Sunier, AUDIOPHILE AUDITION
* * * * *
"Brilliant. Pius's
Goldberg Variations recording is so warm and musical and truly engaging….His playing
is extremely sensitive and appropriate for Bach…” - Jennifer Higdon,
World-renowned Composer
* * * * *
”Pius Cheung's
marimba playing is brilliant and spellbinding. His intensity as a musician is riveting.
His music is hauntingly romantic and emotionally rich” - Don Liuzzi, Principal
Timpanist, Philadelphia Orchestra.
Contact
& Booking
Pius
Cheung, Marimba Artist & Composer
Phone:
215-435-5887
Email:
music@piuscheung.com
Official
website: www.piuscheung.com
Peng Peng
Pianist
Born in China, 14-year-old pianist and composer Peng Peng
began piano lessons at the age of five and gave his first public recital in Nanjing at the
age of eight. In 2002 he made his concerto debut with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra
performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. He appeared on NPR’s From the Top
and performed in Red Cross benefits at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall.
Recent highlights include debuts at Lincoln Center’s Alice
Tully Hall with Itzhak Perlman conducting the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra, the
Aspen Festival Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin and a European debut at Musée du Louvre.
Peng Peng was also on the Spring 2006 national TV broadcast of PBS’ Live from Lincoln
Center as part of Juilliard’s Celebrating 100 Years Gala in which he performed a
movement of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with conductor, John Williams. In
February 2007, he performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the San Francisco
Symphony for their Chinese New Year celebration concert.
Peng Peng has won numerous competitions including the Junior
Category of the 2005 New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra’s competition and the
Juilliard School’s 2003-04 and 2005-06 Pre-College Mozart Piano Concerto
Competitions. Over the past two seasons he has appeared with the Big Spring Symphony,
Philharmonic of New Jersey, Midland-Odessa Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Corpus Christi
Symphony, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Norwalk Symphony, Nashua Symphony, San Diego Symphony
and California Symphony. He has also given recitals in Cincinnati, Miami, Napa Valley,
Kansas City and La Jolla.
Peng Peng will appear as guest soloist at the 2007 American
Symphony Orchestra League Conference with the conference sponsoring orchestra, the
Nashville Symphony, conducted by Mo. Slatkin. In September 2007 he will again join Mo.
Slatkin for the National Symphony's opening season gala.
As an avid composer, Peng Peng also studies composition at
Juilliard with Andrew Thomas. He has written numerous works for piano, chamber ensembles
and orchestras. He recently won an ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Award for 2006 and his
“Exit, Stage Left!” Scherzo for Orchestra won the 2004-05 Juilliard Pre-College
Division Composition Competition. Peng Peng currently studies piano with Yoheved Kaplinsky
at Juilliard. He attends the Professional Children's School in New York and is in the
ninth grade.
OFFICIAL
BIO FOR THE 2007-08 SEASON. LAST UPDATED MARCH 2007.
PLEASE DESTROY ALL PREVIOUSLY DATED MATERIALS.
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additional materials contact icma_publicity@icmtalent.com.
