A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, pianist Lio Kuok-Wai is a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant administered by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Career Advancement Award given by the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, and a Scholarship award by the Feltsman Piano Foundation.

Praised by the Vancouver Sun as a "musician's musician," for his "sensitive playing" by The New York Times, and his "hypnotic" effect by The Boston Musical Intelligencer, the Macau-born pianist is active as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide. He has performed at venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Tonhalle Zürich, Herkulessaal in Munich, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Daiichi Semei Hall in Tokyo. He has given recitals at the Ravinia Festival, Gilmore Rising Stars, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Amelia Island Music Festival, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, Kissinger Sommer, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts in Boston. Kuok-Wai was chosen to step in for the legendary pianist, Radu Lupu, for a recital in Town Hall, New York to critical acclaim.

Kuok-Wai is currently a student of Stanislav Ioudenitch at the International Center for Music at Park University. He has studied under Gabriel Kwok, Gary Graffman, Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Boris Berman, Jack Winerock, among others. He was invited by Sir András Schiff to take part in many of his masterclasses in Europe and by Leon Fleisher to attend a mentorship program at Caramoor Rising Stars in upstate New York.

A frequent participant in the Marlboro Music Festival and Marlboro on Tour, Kuok-Wai has performed with musicians such as Kim Kashkashian, Pamela Frank, Harvey de Souza, Cho-Liang Lin, Christoph Richter, Hsin-Yun Huang, and the Shanghai Quartet, among others. At an anniversary celebration of Sándor Végh, founding member of the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, Kuok-Wai was chosen to take part in masterclasses and concerts at Wigmore Hall in London and the Salzburg Festival. He has also performed at the Schubertiade curated by Vancouver Recital Society alongside pianists Jonathan Biss and Inon Barnatan.

As a concerto soloist, Kuok-Wai has performed with orchestras that include the China Philharmonic, Macau Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra and conductors Li Xin-Cao, Edo de Waart, Francois Xavier-Roth, and Michael Stern.

A top prize winner in the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Competition, Fulbright Concerto Competition, Chopin International Piano Competition in Asia, International Institute for Young Musicians Piano Competition, Ettlingen International Piano Competition, Steinway & Sons International Piano Competition, Kuok-Wai received an Honourific Title of Merit given by the Chief Executive of Macau. He has also performed for Hu Jin-Tao, then President of the People’s Republic of China; the late Stanley Ho; Tung Chee-Wha, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong; and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

Apart from music, Kuok-Wai enjoys reading, taking walks in nature, traveling, going to museums, playing with pets, and cooking for friends. His interests include art, literature, poetry, psychology, philosophy, theology, history and languages. He speaks English, German, Portuguese, Mandarin, and is working on Hebrew.

Lio Kuok-Wai was featured in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May 2023.

被溫哥華太陽報譽為"音樂家中的音樂家",更被紐約時報評論他的演奏為細膩纖細。廖國瑋,一位出生於澳門的鋼琴家,活躍於世界的舞台上的鋼琴獨奏家以及室內樂音樂家。 2014年1月,他代抱恙的拉杜·魯普出演了在紐約市政大廳舉行的人民交響音樂會,而後受到轟動好評。

近期亮相於包括聖達菲(Santa Fe)、拉維尼亞(Ravinia)、普魯士港(Prussia Cove)、馬爾博樂(Marlboro)、卡拉穆爾(Caramoor)、魯爾(Klavierfestival Ruhr)、基辛根之夏(Kissinger Sommer)和香港藝術音樂節。廖國瑋在溫哥華演奏協會(Vancouver Recital Society)、舊金山演奏系列(San Francisco Performances)、吉爾摩新星系列(Gilmore Rising Stars Series)、菲利普洛倫茲追憶鍵盤系列音樂會(Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts)以及費城室內樂協會上均有舉辦獨奏音樂會。他曾在卡內基音樂廳的威爾音樂廳(Weill Recital Hall)、蘇黎世音樂廳管弦樂團(Tonhalle Zürich)和位於慕尼黑的赫拉克勒斯演奏廳(Herkulessaal)等會場進行演出。作為協奏曲獨奏家,他曾與澳門管弦樂團,香港管弦樂團,香港小交響樂團,中國愛樂樂團,廣州交響樂團,汎亞交響樂團,堪薩斯城交響樂團,大急流城交響樂團,加州交響樂團,休斯頓交響樂團,俄羅斯交響樂團和薩爾茨堡室內樂團合作。

國偉是第六屆亞洲國際肖邦鋼琴比賽(東京)、第五屆國際柴可夫斯基青年音樂家比賽(日本)、艾特靈根(Ettlingen)青年鋼琴家國際比賽(德國)、第三屆青年鋼琴家國際比賽(德國)、第65屆施坦威國際青年鋼琴比賽(北京)、2005年吉娜巴考爾(Gina Bachauer)國際青年藝術家比賽(美國)和2007年國際富布賴特協奏曲比賽(美國)的獲獎者。 2004年1月,他獲得澳門特區行政長官頒發的表彰獎。國瑋是林肯表演藝術中心頒發的富有盛譽的2013年度艾弗里費舍爾職業獎學金獲得者。



NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
by Dr. Jannie Burdeti

音樂會後新聞稿
Post Concert Chinese Press :

Pianist Kuok-Wai Lio at NEC’s Jordan Hall, April 13, 2024

中華表演藝術基金會，於4月13日週六晚上八時，邀請鋼琴名家 廖國瑋 Kuok-Wai Lio 在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳(Jordan Hall) 盛大而成功的舉行了一場獨奏會。那晚上, 大約200名熱情的觀眾，為此場令人難忘的音樂會, 高水平成功的演出, 報以歡呼及掌聲,欲罷不能。

音樂會曲目包括：舒曼作品:《兒童場景》Op.15、《克萊斯勒》Op.16和《幻想曲》Op.17。

出生於澳門的廖國瑋擁有驚人的履歷。他畢業於柯蒂斯(Curtis)音樂學院，曾獲 2013 年著名的艾弗里·費舍爾職業獎(Avery Fisher Career Grant)，及費城音樂基金協會職業發展獎。師從 Gabriel Kwok, Gary Graffman, Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Boris Berman, Jack Winerock 等人。他應安德拉斯·席夫(Andras Schiff) 的邀請，在歐洲參加了許多大師班，並應里昂·弗萊舍爾(Leon Fleisher) 之邀參加了一個指導計劃。他曾與喬納森·比斯(Jonathan Biss) 和伊農·巴納坦(Inon Barnatan) 一起在溫哥華舒伯特音樂節(Schubertiade)上演出，並被選中在紐約代替傳奇的拉杜·盧普(Radu Lupu)，受到了好評。廖國瑋曾與世界各地的管弦樂團合作演出獨奏。 

溫哥華太陽報(The Vancouver Sun) 稱讚廖國瑋為"音樂家中的音樂家"，而《紐約時報》則稱其演奏"細膩動人"

波士頓音樂情報(The Boston Musical Intelligener) 樂評詳細地討論了廖國瑋 4 月13 日每一首作品，並對他大加讚揚。說到:

"廖國瑋的表演精湛絕倫：敏感、深思、創新，手指靈活迅速，觸控令人驚嘆。 廖的藝術才華在《幻想曲》中的靜謐時刻尤為突出，他對旋律的精妙塑造輕鬆自如，第三樂章中的空靈溫柔更是令人心馳神往。 在結束安可時，他為觀眾奉上了巴赫《哥德堡變奏曲》中的詠嘆調，觀眾再度陷入了嘆息和更熱烈的掌聲中。 "

《國際鋼琴雜誌》英國版的資深樂評家史蒂芬·威格勒(Stephen Wigler) 在他題為"深入其中"的評論中說：

"在19世紀的偉大鋼琴作曲家中，舒曼可能是最難演奏得好的。這不僅僅是關於音樂被廣泛承認的技術困難，而是關於他的詮釋者的勇氣。舒曼有一種探索靈魂黑暗之處的傾向。因此，演奏他的音樂需要勇氣。全舒曼節目要求更大的勇氣, 廖國瑋選擇的三部作品幾乎是瘋狂地勇敢。這不僅僅是一個危險而艱難的曲目，而且，更增加的危險是，它們每一首都是安靜的結束。

然而，事實證明，這個曲目不僅僅是對鋼琴家的一場勝利，也是對作曲家的一場勝利。廖國瑋在智慧和情感之間取得了良好的平衡。他非凡的流暢度, 能夠把一句抬起來然後讓它平息, 以及對音調的微妙變化，使這個非常熟悉的作品聽起來有了全新的狂喜。音樂會的曲目以舒曼最偉大作品《幻想曲》為結束。我從未聽過比當晚更美麗的表演，它揭示了在其進入寂靜的旅程中層層不同的深度。"

在音樂會後慶祝酒會上，超過20位跨代知名音樂家齊聚一堂，向他表示祝賀。

該音樂會的視頻將放上中華表演藝術基金會 YouTube上. 免費供大家欣賞。也請關注中華表演基金會的 Instagram: @ cathychanfcpa.

Press Chinese: pianist Kuok-Wai Lio 廖國瑋 at NEC’s Jordan Hall, Saturday, April 13, 2024, 8 pm

中華表演藝術基金會第35屆音樂季第4場音樂會，將於4月13日週六晚上八時，邀請澳門出生的鋼琴家名家 廖國瑋在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳(Jordan Hall) 舉行一場鋼琴獨奏會。曲目包括舒曼的作品：兒童場景(Kinderszenen)、克莱斯勒(Kreisleriana) 和 幻想曲(Fantasie) .

曾獲著名的艾弗里·費舍爾職業獎(Avery Fisher Career Grant), 及費城音樂基金協會職業發展獎的廖國瑋畢業於柯蒂斯(Curtis) 音樂學院，和耶魯大學。他應安德拉斯·席夫爵士(Sir András Schiff) 之邀，在歐洲參加了許多他的大師班，並應里昂·弗萊舍(Leon Fleisher) 的邀請參加了紐約州北部 Caramoor 的新星指導計劃。

他在世界各地與頂級音樂家以及室內樂音樂家合作和演出，例如 Kim Kashkashian, Pamela Frank,林昭亮、黃心芸以及上海、茱莉亞、多佛(Dover) 和愛默森(Emerson) 弦樂四重奏等合作。

溫哥華太陽報(The Vancouver Sun) 稱讚鋼琴家廖國瑋為"音樂家中的音樂家" 。而《紐約時報》(The New York Times)則稱其演奏"細膩動人"。受到高度關注。

波士頓音樂情報(The Boston Musical Intelligener) 稱讚廖國瑋在中華表演藝術基金會2022年夏日系列音樂會8 月15 日NEC威廉姆斯(Williams Hall) 音樂廳的表現說: "這是音樂中罕見的超凡時刻之一，將觀眾帶入了不同的境界。廖國瑋的三首古典曲目, 以壓倒性的美感讓我們著迷。" 該音樂會的視頻在中華表演藝術基金會 YouTube 上. 免費供大家欣賞。

音樂會票價為 $20(7- 13歲)、$40、$60。提供14歲以上學生免費票，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4月13日下午2時將關閉。現場門票售價為10美元，僅限現金支付。

 

Into the Deep Of the 19th century’s great composers for the piano, Schumann may be the most difficult to play well. This is more than the matter of the music’s widely acknowledged technical difficulties, but of the courage of his interpreters. Far more than any of his contemporaries — Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn — Schumann had a propensity for exploring the dark places of the soul.   Throughout his life, which ended in an insane asylum, he was tormented by demons that included the symptoms of tertiary syphilis — paranoia, behavioral changes, hallucinations, mania, and cognitive impairment. And those demons express themselves in his music. So programming his music demands courage. An all-Schumann program demands even greater bravery; but the three works — Kinderszenen(Opus 15), Kreisleriana(Opus 16) and the Fantasy in C(Opus 17) — that Kuok-Wai Lio chose for his recital in the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts series(13 April, Jordan Hall) seems almost insanely valorous. Not only is this a treacherously difficult program, but, adding to the hazards, is that each of them ends quietly. As it turned out, however, this program was a triumph not only for the pianist, but also the composer. Most of the 13 pieces that comprise Kinderszenen are relatively simple technically, though difficult musically. Kuok-Wai Lio struck a fine balance between intellect and emotion by not playing down to the audience and molding his phrases with care. The subtleties of his performance included bringing out inner voices, accenting certain notes in the bass line and distinctive pedaling, His extraordinary fluidity — his ability to lift a phrase and then let it subside — and nuance in tone made this thrice familiar work sound newly rapturous. His playing in  Kreisleriana impressively held together what can seem a rambling work. Without overpowering the music, he used his wide tonal palette to illuminate the music’s occasional descents into nightmarish depths. The program concluded with a triumphal traversal of what may be Schumann’s greatest work, the Fantasying C. He played the first movement at an unusually slow pace that enabled him to emphasize its sudden explosions of passion. The second movement’s march, on the other hand, moved at a ferocious clip that never suggested a lock-step rhythm, but which unfolded in an almost improvisatory manner. Unlike many pianists, he did not proceed with caution when he arrived at the fearsome coda. Scarcely any pianist manages to get through without a few slips — — and Kuok-Wai Lio was no exception. But the fire of his temperament and the focus of his insight into the music’s passion carried him through. The Elysian final movement can, in less skillful hands, sound repetitious, but that was not the case here. I’ve never heard a more beautiful performance of this movement, which rarely rises above a mezzo-forte level, and it revealed layer after layer of unsuspected depths in its voyage into silence. Stephen Wigler (a contributing writer for International Piano, UK, and a longtime staff music critic at three newspapers)

---