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Home , Augustin Dumay, Boris Brott, Daniel Pollack, Earl Wild, Franz Liszt, James Tocco

2019 AMERICAN LISZT SOCIETY FESTIVAL

“: Liszt and his Rivals”

OCTOBER 24-27, 2019

.asu.edu AMERICAN LISZT SOCIETY www.americanlisztsociety.net

A non-profit tax exempt organization under the provisions President of section Jay Hershberger 501 (c) (3) of Concordia College the Internal Music Department Revenue Moorhead, MN 56562 Code [email protected]

Vice President Alexandre Dossin Greetings Dear Lisztians! University of Oregon School of Music & Dance Eugene, OR 97403-1225 On behalf of the board of directors of the American Liszt Society, it is an honor to welcome you to [email protected] the 2019 American Liszt Society Festival at the Arizona State University School of Music. We extend Executive/ Membership our gratitude to the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts, Dr. Steven Tepper, Dean, to the School Secretary Justin Kolb of Music, Dr. Heather Landes, Director, and to our festival director, Dr. Baruch Meir, Associate Professor www.justinkolb.com 1136 Hog Mountain Road of , for what promises to be a memorable and inspirational ALS festival. Dr. Meir has assembled Fleischmanns, NY 12430 a terrific roster of performers and scholars and the ALS is grateful for his artistic and executive oversight [email protected] of the festival events. Membership Secretary Alexander Djordjevic PO Box 1020 This year’s festival theme, War of the Romantics: Liszt and His Rivals brings together highly acclaimed Wheaton, IL 60187-1020 [email protected] guest artists, performances of important staples in the , a masterclass in the spirit of Liszt as creator of the format, informative lecture presentations, and a concert of choral masterpieces. Treasurer Daniel Paul Horn Surrounding the events of the festival itself is the regular comradery, fellowship, and the long-term American Liszt Society PO Box 1020 friendships that have been at the core of the membership of the ALS. And, of course, we top it all off Wheaton, IL 60187-1020 with shared meals, conservation, and enjoying the musical afterglow at the final festival banquet. [email protected]

ALS Journal This year, the American Liszt Society was saddened at the loss of two of its esteemed members, Jonathan Kregor, Editor Mary Emery Hall Room 4240 Dr. Eugene Acalay and Professor Karen Shaw. Both of these prominent Lisztians contributed to the Cincinnati College Conservatory PO Box 210003 Society in a myriad of ways and we wish to honor their memory by acknowledging their deep musical Cincinnati, OH 45221 – 0003 legacies and the generous Lisztian spirit that they gave to others. Their presence will be sorely missed [email protected] by all. May those of us who remain be inspired by their examples and move into the breach left by their ALS Newsletter/Website departure from this life. Edward Rath Editor/Webmaster 2603 Coppertree Road Champaign, IL 61822-7518 Finally, let me issue an invitation to join the American Liszt Society. The ALS seeks to encourage and [email protected] engender the ideals reflected in the music and life work of . Liszt was a composer, performing artist, teacher, impresario, humanitarian, philanthropist, author, cleric and even a theologian. He is arguably the central musical figure of . The ALS invites any and all to join us in Board of Directors keeping the flame of his life and music alive to future generations. Paul Barnes Luiz de Moura Castro Alexander Djordjevic* Excelsior! Gabriel Dobner Alexandre Dossin* Gila Goldstein Jay Hershberger* Caroline Hong Jay Hershberger Daniel Paul Horn* Geraldine Keeling President, American Liszt Society Barbara Mellon Kolb Justin Kolb* Jonathan Kregor Elyse J. Mach Ksenia Nosikova Edward Rath* Steven Spooner Helen Smith Tarchalski Alan Walker William Wellborn Richard Zimdars

*Member Executive Committee Welcome to Arizona State University.

Our great university is considered the most innovative in the U.S. and one of its premier research institutions, leading research in sustainability, space exploration, biodesign, and much more. But we are also deeply committed to culture and to the value of art — its history, its powerful place in society, and its possibilities. In fact, the School of Music, one of our nation’s finest, is embedded in the largest, comprehensive design and arts college in the country. 5,700 students are studying at the Herberger Institute. The American Liszt Society is an important festival and we are honored to host over 50 performers from many universities who join our own students and faculty to explore the topic, “War of the Romantics: Liszt and his Rivals.” This year’s theme reminds us that productive rivalries have always fueled innovation and achievement in the arts. Please enjoy the performances and the time with colleagues and new friends as you explore our campus and city.

Steven J. Tepper Dean and Director, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Foundation Professor WELCOME TO THE ASU SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

The Arizona State University School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is thrilled to host and be a part of the 2019 American Liszt Society Festival!

As one of the top music schools in the nation, the ASU School of Music attracts talented musicians from all over the world who bring a thirst for music, high performing standards and a drive for excellence that helps create an envi- ronment where students can excel and, at the same time, pursue their own individual passion and course of study. Our internationally renowned faculty, outstanding facilities, and innovative and collaborative programs all contribute to inspire and empower students to become the next generation of creative leaders.

Through more than 35 undergraduate and graduate degrees and two undergraduate minors, the ASU School of Music engages students with a broad range of musical thought, expression and experiences. Students can achieve anything they want here and be a part of research university that also nurtures, values and inspires creativity.

We encourage our students to think about how they as musicians can engage audiences and community, collab- orate with disciplines outside of music, and communicate about complex world issues. The theme of this year’s festival, “War of the Romantics: Liszt and his Rivals,” reminds us of the power that music has to build connections across continents and cultures.

We invite you to visit music.asu.edu to learn more about the ASU School of Music. We hope that everyone in atten- dance leaves inspired, refreshed and energized with new knowledge and new colleagues.

Heather Landes Professor and Director, ASU School of Music Welcome

Welcome to the 2019 American Liszt Society Festival at Arizona State University!

This year’s unique festival theme is “War of the Romantics: Liszt and his Rivals.” There will be a variety of performances and lectures focused on works by Liszt and his contemporaries, both allies and rivals. The wide range of music, featuring works by Brahms, Chopin, Clara and and of course Liszt, make it a one of a kind festival. The program offers a dynamic array of recitals, lectures, and master classes offered by distinguished artists and scholars hailing from all over the as well as students and faculty from Arizona State University.

I am thankful to our two wonderful guest artists who agreed to join our festival and share their artistry with us: renowned Oxana Yablonskaya and Sung Chang, the First Prize Winner of the 2015 Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition.

I hope you will all enjoy our beautiful facilities and campus. I know we will have a memorable time together as we explore the music of Liszt and his contemporaries.

Dr. Baruch Meir Festival Director

Festival Staff

David Bergstedt, Festival Coordinator Natalie Burton, Festival Coordinator Program

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019

Master of Ceremonies: Justin Kolb Locations: Events will be held at Katzin Concert Hall unless otherwise noted.

2:30-3:30 p.m. Registration: Cowley Lobby

3:30-6 p.m. ALS Board of Directors Meeting: Faculty Lounge

6-7:15 p.m. Registration (continued): Cowley Lobby

7:30 p.m. Opening Gala Guest Artist Piano Recital: Sung Chang

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019

8-8:45 a.m. Registration (continued): Cowley Lobby

8:45-9 a.m. Welcome

9-9:45 a.m. Session 1: Lecture Recital: “Liszt and the Barefoot Carmelite” Justin Kolb, piano and lecturer

10-11:10 a.m. Session 2: Chopin and Liszt: Rhapsodies and Fantasies

Frédéric Chopin: Fantasy in , Op. 49 Ryo Oguri, piano

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6, S. 244/6 Philbert King Yue Li, piano

Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11, S. 244/11 Caio Pagano, piano

Franz Liszt: No. 17, 18, S. 244 Robert Hamilton, piano

Frédéric Chopin: -Fantasy in A-flat Major, Op. 61 Baruch Meir, piano

Franz Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody, S. 254 Aoshuang Li, piano

Franz Liszt: Grand Fantasy on Paccini’s Niobe, S. 419 Kemal Gekic, piano

11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Session 3: Celebration: 200th Anniversary of

Clara Schumann: Romanze in , in E major Derek Parsons, piano

Clara Schumann: Piano in Caroline Hong, piano

Clara Schumann: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20 Liza Stepanova, piano

12:15-2 p.m. Break: Lunch

6 Program

2-3:30 p.m. Master Class: Oxana Yablonskaya

Franz Liszt: Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata, S. 161 Tingshuo Tang, piano

Frédéric Chopin: 24 , Op. 28, Nos. 1, 3, 4, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24 Jun Cai, piano

4-5:30 p.m. Session 4: Choral Music of Brahms and Liszt, Organ Hall ASU Chamber Singers, David Schildkret conductor

Johannes Brahms: Geistliches , Op. 30 : Schaffe in mir, Gott, Op. 29, No. 2 Franz Liszt: Missa choralis, S. 10

5:30-7:30 p.m. Break: Dinner

7:30 p.m. Session 5: An Evening with Friends: Brahms and Schumann

Johannes Brahms: Three Intermezzi Op. 117 Eva Polgar, piano

Robert Schumann: Kreisleriana Op. 16 Gila Goldstein, piano

Johannes Brahms: Handel Variations, Op. 24 Ksenia Nosikova, piano

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019

9-9:40 a.m. Session 6: Lecture Recital: “Liszt and Brahms: Approaches to the Lied during the War of the Romantics” Ben Arnold, piano and lecturer Elizabeth Packard Arnold, soprano

10-11:10 a.m. Session 7: The of Brahms and Liszt

Franz Liszt: Ballade No. 1 in D-flat Major, S. 170 Yen Wei Chen, piano

Franz Liszt: Ballade No. 2 in , S. 171 Jay Hershberger, piano

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 Alexandre Dossin, piano

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in A minor, Op. 38 Cong Ding, piano

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47 Michelle Nam, piano

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Cathal Breslin, piano

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Session 8: “Dear Comrade-in-arms”: Joachim, the Schumanns, and the “War of the Romantics” Robert Whitehouse Eshbach, lecturer 7 Program

12:30-2 p.m. Break: Lunch

2-3 p.m. Session 9: Songs by Brahms, Liszt and Schumann

Franz Liszt: Tre Sonetti del Petrarca S. 270 Eric Flyte, tenor; Nathan Arch, piano

Pace non trovo (Sonetto 104) Benedetto sia’l giorno (Sonetto 47) I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi (Sonetto 123)

Johannes Brahms: Two Songs Op. 91 for Mezzo Soprano, and Piano Stephanie Weiss, soprano; Nancy Buck, viola, Andrew Campbell, piano

Gestillte Sehnsucht Geistliches Wiegenlied

Songs by Schumann and Liszt to text by Heine Kevin McMillan, baritone; Gabriel Dobner, piano

Schumann: Die Lotosblume, Was will die einsame Träne, Lehn deine Wang’, Mein Wagen rollet langsam Liszt: Du bist wie eine Blume, Im Rhein, im schönen Strome, Vergiftet sind meine Lieder

Songs by Schumann, Liszt and Wolf to text by Goethe Carole FitzPatrick, soprano; Russell Ryan, piano

Schumann: Mignon Liszt: Kennst du das Land Wolf: Kennst du das Land

3:15-4 p.m. Session 10: Pianistic Elements in the Piano of Thalberg and Liszt Lecture with demonstrations Dani Shraibman, piano and lecturer

4:30-5:30 PM Session 11: Etudes

Charles-Valentin Alkan: Etude in B Minor op. 39, No. 11 “Ouverture” Jose Raul Lopez, piano

Robert Schumann: Six Studies on the Paganini Caprices, Op. 3 Dmitry Rachmanov, piano

Franz Liszt: Six Etudes on a theme by Paganini, S. 141 Jooyoung Kim, piano

5:30-7:30 p.m. Break: Dinner

7:30 p.m. Guest Artist Recital: Oxana Yablonskaya

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019

9-9:45 a.m. Session 12: Works for Two Franz Liszt: “Les Preludes”, , S. 637 Yun Ha Hwang and Chunghwa Hur, piano

Johannes Brahms: Variations on a theme by Haydn, Op. 56b Eugene Pridonoff and Elisabeth Pridonoff, piano 8 Program

10:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Session 13: Celebrating the Life of pianist Eugene Alcalay. Chopin, Liszt, Schumann: Program and Poetic music

Franz Liszt: Selections from Via Crucis (solo piano version), S. 53 Paul Barnes, piano

Franz Liszt: Funérailles, S. 173/7 Walter Cosand, piano (dedicated to Eugene Alcalay)

Franz Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann, S. 160/6 Selene Wu, piano

Franz Liszt: Aux Cyprès de la Villa d’Este, No. 1, S. 163/2 Franz Liszt: Les Jeux D’eaux à la Villa d’Este, S. 163/4 Steven Spooner, piano

Robert Schumann: , Op. 9 John Solari, piano

12-1:30 p.m. Break: Lunch

1:30-1:45 p.m. Presentation: , Recipient of the American Liszt Society Medal

1:45-2:30 p.m. Session 14: Outstanding Young Recital

Winners of the Angelo and Micheline Addona Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition:

Franz Liszt: Concert Etude: Waldesrauschen, S. 145 Angelina Zhang, piano (teacher: Hong Zhu)

Franz Liszt: Concert Etude No. 3: Un Sospiro, S. 144 Morgan Beckstead, piano (teacher: Fei Xu)

Frédéric Chopin: Op. 27 No. 1 Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8, S. 244/8 Miles Fawson, piano (teacher: Baruch Meir)

Winners of the 2019 Liszt Los Angeles International Piano Competition:

Franz Liszt: Concert Etude No. 2: La leggierezza, S. 144 Franz Liszt: Venezia e Napoli: Tarantella, S. 159 Lucie Kim, piano (teacher: Ariel Yang)

Franz Liszt: Transcendental Etude No. 12 “Chasse Neige”, S. 139 Frédéric Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 2 Frédéric Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 6 Ziyu Chen, piano (teacher: Ethan Dong)

Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, S. 244/12 Frédéric Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 16 An Hoang, piano (teacher: Molly Nguyen)

4-6:30 p.m. Banquet (by reservation): Graduate Hotel, roof top

9 Opening Gala Guest Artist Piano Recital

SUNG CHANG THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 7:30 P.M. Katzin Concert Hall Program: Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39, in C-sharp Minor Frédéric Chopin: Études Op. 10 No. 1 in C Major No. 2 in A Minor No. 3 in E Major No. 4 in C-sharp Minor No. 5 in G-flat Major No. 6 in E-flat Minor No. 7 in C Major No. 8 in No. 9 in F Minor No. 10 in A-flat Major No. 11 in E-flat Major No. 12 in Intermission Franz Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat Major, S. 541 Franz Liszt: Sonata in B Minor, S. 178

Pianist Sung Chang is known for his outstanding technical abilities, musical maturity, and sensitive yet powerful expression that shines through the keys. He has received critical acclaim for his “poetic imagination, superb technical skills, and, most importantly, a deep emotional connection to whatever music he plays” by Jeffrey Kahane. Born in , Korea, Sung Chang gave his debut concert at the age of five. At 16, he was accepted into the prestigious Korea National University of Arts, and his musical virtuosity attracted international attention when he became the youngest ever to win the Nagoya International Piano Competition in Japan. Since then Chang has gone on to win more than ten international competitions around the world including in the United States, , , Korea, and Japan. His impressive list of awards from the major international piano competitions includes the first prize and the audience prize at the Chopin-Gesellschaft Hannover Internationaler Klavierwettbewerb, the first prize David Katzin Gold Medal Award and the special award for the “Best Performance of a Virtuoso Piece” at the 7th Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition, a silver medal with two special prizes in “Best Performance of a Work by a Classical Composer” and “Best Performance of a Work by a Spanish, Latin American or Impressionistic Composer” at the International Piano Competition, a silver medal at the New Orleans International Piano Competition and the Schumann International Piano Competition. Chang currently resides in Los Angeles, after completing further studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Hannover, Germany and the USC Thornton School of Music. http://sungchangpianist.com/

10 Guest Artist Recital

OXANA YABLONSKAYA SATURDAY, OCT. 26, 7:30 P.M. Katzin Concert Program: Johannes Brahms: Rhapsodies Op. 79 No. 1 in B minor No. 2 in G minor Robert Schumann: Arabesque Op. 18 in C Major Frédéric Chopin: Op. 6 No. 2 in C-sharp Minor Op. 17 No. 4 in A Minor Op. 7 No. 1 in B-flat Major Op. 33 No. 4 in B Minor Op. 50 No. 1 in G Major Op. 50 No. 2 in A-flat Major Op. 50 No. 3 in C-sharp Minor Intermission Frédéric Chopin : Op. 9 No. 1 in B Minor Op. 37 No. 2 in G Major Op. 32 No. 1in B Major /Franz Liszt : Song Transcriptions Der Wanderer (The unhappy one) Ständchen (Serenade) Morgenständchen (Morning serenade) (To sing on the water) Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel)

Yamaha Artist Oxana Yablonskaya’s charismatic piano playing and profound interpretations have brought her international acclaim. Known for her powerhouse virtuosity, exquisite sensitivity, and deep emotional drive, she has enchanted audiences world-wide. Once considered ‘The best kept secret of the ,’ she has per- formed in more than 40 countries and in Carnegie Hall; the ; the and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London; Teatro Colon, Bue- nos Aires; Suntory Hall, ; Hall, Chicago; Royal Concerge- bouw, Amsterdam; Great Hall of Conservatory, Great Hall of St. Petersburgh Philharmonic; Sheldonyan Theatre and Holywell Music Room; Oxford, and many more. Her include celebrated conductors such as: Alexander Dmitriev, Alexander Anissimov, Yury Aronovitch, Rudolf Barshai, Herbert Bloomstaadt, Boris Brott, Abraham Chavez, Sergiu Comissiona, Franz Paul Decke, Alexander Dmitriev, Lawrence Foster, Youosh Forst, Pierro Gamba, Fedor Gluschenko Inbal, Arnold Katz, Anton Kersies, Dmitry Kitaenko, Eric Klaas, Kirill Kondrashin, Uri Maier, Fuat Mansurov, Nathan Rakhlin, Mstislav Rostropovitch, , Stanislaw Skrowachevsky, Pavel Sorokin, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Yuly Turowsky, and Victor Yampolsky. In addition to her success as a concert pianist and recording artist, she has held the position of Professor of Piano at The Julliard School in . She has lectured numerous master classes at many distinguished international music schools, acad- emies, conservatories and festivals such as Newport and Bowdin, USA; Flaine and Tours,; Lago Maggiore, ; Oxford Philomusica, England. Dr. Yablonskaya is a co-founder of Puigcerda Musica Clasica International Festival in Spain (1998). She serves on the juries of international piano competitions including Leeds, Franz Liszt (), Hamamatsu, International Piano Competition, Piano E-Competition, Jose Iturbi, Sendai, and Beethoven Competition in . 11 Performers and Presenters

NATHAN ARCH Nathan Arch is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University, where he is a student of Andrew Campbell. As a teaching assistant, Nathan plays for a variety of ensembles, choirs, master classes, and recitals, while also maintaining an active musical life as an organist and church musician in the Phoenix area. An avid chamber musician, Nathan has a strong interest in Russian music of the 19th and 20th centuries, recently giving two performances each of Dmitri Shostakovich’s and No. 2. His doctoral research will focus on the early of . Nathan has also recently appeared at various summer music festivals, including the Saarburg International Music Festival (Germany), Vianden International Music Festival (Luxembourg), and Rocky Ridge Music Center (Colorado).

BEN ARNOLD Ben Arnold, a musicology professor at the University of Kentucky, specializes in the music of Franz Liszt and in the topic of music and war. In addition to writing for and editing The Liszt Companion (Greenwood Press), he is also author of Music and War. His publications on Liszt appear in New Perspectives on Liszt and His Music, Liszt and His World, Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe, and the Journal of the American Liszt Society. His war-related articles appear in The Oxford Companion to American Military History, The Musical Quarterly, The Journal of Musicological Research, The Music Review, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Music and War in the United States, and Handbook of the Literature and Research of World War Two. As a pianist, Arnold also performs frequently as a vocal accompanist with soprano Elizabeth Packard Arnold. They performed an all-Liszt song recital in , Germany as part of the International Franz Liszt Congress’s 200th anniversary celebration of the composer’s birth in 2011 and at the American Liszt Society’s festival in San Francisco in 2013. Arnold has presented professional papers at numerous conferences in the U.S., , Canada, Germany, Italy, and . He served as a frequent lecturer for the Atlanta Orchestra pre-concert lecture series, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, and the Highlands Chamber Music Festival. From 2003 to 2012 Arnold served nine years as Director of the University of Kentucky School of Music and was on the faculty of Emory University for sixteen years where he served two terms as Chair of the Music Department.

ELIZABETH ARNOLD Elizabeth Packard Arnold, soprano, is a versatile singer who has frequently performed as a soloist in recitals and oratorios throughout the U.S. with emphasis on early music and the Lieder of Franz Liszt. Noted previous performances of Liszt’s songs include a recital in Weimar, Germany as part of the International Franz Liszt Congress for the 200th anniversary of his birth (2011) and at the American Liszt Festival in San Francisco in 2013. She has also sung with numerous regional , performing works of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Saint-Saëns. For many years she performed frequently as a soprano soloist with New Trinity Baroque Ensemble (NTB) in performances of Bach cantatas, solo cantatas of Handel, and Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. She also appears in recorded NTB performances of Carissimi’s Jonas and Jepthe, Charpentier’s Messe de Nuit, Monteverdi’s Selve Morale e Spirituale, and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas on Edition Lilac. Her recent interest in teaching mindfulness in the voice studio has resulted in KORU Mindfulness certification and of health and wellness initiatives in the UK College of Fine Arts. She has also given presentations on topics of mindfulness in the voice studio/choral rehearsal at the 2019 College Music Society National Conference, 2019 Presbyterian Association of Musicians National Conference, and 2016 National Association of Teachers of Singing National Conference. Professor Arnold has a of Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Masters of Sacred Music from Emory University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati—College Conservatory of Music. She is an Associate Professor of voice in the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts/School of Music where she teaches applied lessons in addition to serving as the Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts.

ASU CHAMBER SINGERS The ASU Chamber Singers are chosen on the basis of a rigorous audition to form an elite and versatile musical ensemble. Members include doctoral students in voice performance and , master’s students in , musical theatre, and vocal pedagogy, and undergraduates in vocal performance and music education. The Chamber Singers have performed recently at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the Arizona Music Educators Association. The group presents highly polished performances of music from all periods, both accompanied and unaccompanied, and joins with other ensembles to present major works for choir and orchestra. This year’s repertory includes Rutter’s Gloria,

12 Performers and Presenters

Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Kodály’s Missa brevis, and a program of works by living women composers in addition to today’s presentation of music by Brahms and Liszt. They will end the school year by joining with other ASU choirs and the ASU Symphony Orchestra to present Mahler’s Second Symphony. Their conductor, David Schildkret, is Director of Choral Activities at ASU. His full biography may be found in the online ASU faculty directory (https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/507966) and at schildkret.website.

PAUL BARNES Praised by the New York Times for his “Lisztian thunder and deft fluidity,” pianist Paul Barnes has electrified audiences with his intensely expressive playing and cutting-edge programming. He has been featured seven times on APM’s Performance Today and on the cover of Clavier Magazine. Celebrating his twenty-four-year with Philip Glass, Barnes commissioned and gave the world premiere of Glass’s Piano Quintet “Annunciation” with the Chiara Quartet. This performance was featured on Performance Today and PBS News Hour’s new arts website Canvas. Barnes recorded the quintet with Brooklyn Rider and performed a CD release recital with them in October of 2019. The recording was released internationally on Orange Mountain Music on Oct 18, 2019 and is available on Amazon and Apple Music. Barnes’ twelfth CD New Generations: The New Etudes of Philip Glass and Music of the Next Generation has received rave reviews. Gramophone Magazine wrote, “Pianists of Barnes’s great technique and musicality are a boon to new music.” And American Record Guide commented, “This disc provides further proof of Barnes’s ability to communicate new music with flair and passion.” Barnes is Marguerite Scribante Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music. He teaches during the summer at the International Piano Academy and the Amalfi Coast Music Festival. In great demand as a pedagogue and clinician, Barnes has served as convention artist at several state MTNA conventions, most recently at Virginia in October of 2018, and was recently named ‘Teacher of the Year” by the Nebraska Music Teachers Association. Upcoming performances include Barnes’ latest lecture recital Love, Death, and Resurrection in the Musical Vision of Philip Glass, Franz Liszt, and Ancient Chant. Barnes’ recordings are available on Pandora, ITunes, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon.

MORGAN BECKSTEAD Morgan Beckstead, age 14 studies piano with Fei Xu in Chandler, Arizona. She started taking piano lessons at age 4 and continues to nurture her love and passion for music. Morgan most recently won first prizes in the 2019 Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition, Junior Artists Division, the 2019 Young Musicians Competition, Junior Division, and in the 2018 Arizona Musicfest Competition, Division I. She has also placed first in the 2019, 2017, 2015 and 2013 EVMTA Piano Competitions and the 2017 Steinway Future Stars Piano Competition, Junior Division. Morgan was invited to perform as part of the MusicaNova Young Artists Series, February 2015 and most recently performed with the MusicaNova Orchestra as a guest artist, May 2018. Morgan currently lives in Queen Creek, Arizona and attends the 9th grade at Higley High School. During her free time, Morgan enjoys singing, swimming, and spending time with friends.

CATHAL BRESLIN Cathal Breslin has been praised worldwide as one of the most exciting pianists of his generation with critical acclaim such as “superb intensity and passion”, “energizing”, “a deep connection to the music”, and “noble poetry”. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he has performed solo recitals in major concert halls throughout Europe, U.S., and Asia, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, in London, Kumho Hall in Seoul, and the National Center for the Performing Arts in . Recent solo performances have included Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Beethoven, Mozart, Takemitsu, Poulenc and Liszt Concerti with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, BBC Ulster Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony NC, Jackson Symphony TN, Turin Philharmonic, Memphis Symphony, and the RTE Concert Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Cathal has performed extensively with flutist Sir James Galway, soprano , violinists Augustin Dumay, Anne Akiko Meyers, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, cellists Jan Vogler, Jeffrey Zeigler, Wallfisch, the Houston Symphony Winds, and the Brodsky Quartet. He is a regular member of Trio Festivale, a flute-cello-piano ensemble that tours and commissions new works internationally. In 2008, Cathal and his wife, flutist Dr. Sabrina Hu, created the Walled City Music Festival in Derry, N. Ireland, which has become one of the most successful arts organizations and festivals in Europe, with Artists such as the Kronos Quartet, Labeque Sisters, . In 2019, they introduced a new annual WCM International Piano Festival and Competition. He came to the U.S. as an Ireland-U.S. Fulbright Scholar, where he received a DMA Degree from the University of , studying with Arthur Greene. His earlier studies were from the Royal College of Music in London, the Royal Northern College in Manchester, and the Real Conservatorio Superior in Madrid. Cathal is currently an Assistant Professor of Piano at Arizona State University School of Music.

13 Performers and Presenters

NANCY BUCK Violist Nancy Buck is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and the Institute of Music, from which she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively. Currently, she is on the faculty at Arizona State University, where she teaches applied viola and chamber music, and is the Area Coordinator for the string department. Prior to joining the faculty at ASU, Ms. Buck taught at Bowling Green State University, where she served as the Assistant Chair for the Department of Music Performance Studies and was a member of the Bowling Green and the Toledo Symphony. In Arizona, Ms. Buck performs regularly with the Phoenix Symphony, the Arizona Bach Festival and the Arizona MusicFest Festival Orchestra. She has traveled the world as an artistic collaborator and teacher, touring the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Italy. Ms. Buck is consistently acclaimed for her extraordinarily insightful studio teaching and is frequently cited for her outstanding musicianship skills in chamber music coaching. She has adjudicated for the Primrose International Viola Competition and the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competitions. In 2008, Ms. Buck served as Host Chair and Artistic Director of the 36th International Viola Congress.

JUN CAI Jun Cai studied at the Middle School Affiliated to Wuhan Conservatory of Music as a classical piano major student with Yuan Tian from 2004-2010 and he obtained his bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music under professor Yun Sun. In 2016, Jun received his master’s degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Jon Nakamatsu. He is currently a doctoral student in piano performance at Arizona State University, studying with Dr. Baruch Meir.

ANDREW CAMPBELL Andrew Campbell has established himself as one of the most versatile collaborative pianists in the United States with a performing career that has taken him to six continents. Recent appearances include a South African concert tour; performances at the Miklin Festival Internacional in Bogotá, Columbia; and the world premier of Damian Montano’s Disappearing Moon at the 2017 IDRS conference at Lawrence University. He has collaborated with such diverse artists as violinist Chee-Yun, double bassist Catalin Rotaru, flutist Thomas Robertello, bassoonist Judith LeClair, trombonist Charles Vernon, saxophonist Timothy McAllister, composer Bright Sheng, and tenor Anthony Dean Griffey. He served as opera rehearsal pianist for distinguished conductors André Previn and Plácido Domingo, and worked closely with the composer Carlisle Floyd on several productions of his . He has appeared at important venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, where The Strad and Strings magazines both hailed his performance as “excellent.” His partnership with violinist Katherine McLin in the McLin/Campbell Duo has led to performances on numerous recital series throughout the United States and Europe. His many recordings include the Rachmaninoff with bassist Catalin Rotaru, cited for special praise by Bass World and XBass, and Cantando, a recording with bassoonist Albie Micklich including several world premieres for which he was praised for his “uncanny musical intelligence.” He has appeared as collaborative pianist at noted international conferences including the National Flute Association, MTNA, the International Viola Congress, and multiple appearances at the International Double Reed Society. Dr. Campbell studied with the renowned collaborative artist Martin Katz and is currently Director Collaborative Piano and Assistant Director for Graduate Studies at Arizona State University. He has directed summer programs in Saarburg, Germany and Vianden, Luxembourg, and serves as Faculty Artist for the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, CO.

YEN-WEI CHEN Taiwanese pianist Yen-Wei Chen is currently a doctoral candidate in Piano Performance at Arizona State University where he receives assistantships and studies with Bösendorfer artist Baruch Meir. He holds a Master of Music degree from Jacob School of Music where he worked with French pianist Jean-Louis Hagenauer. In 2013, he graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts (B. M.) under the guidance of Dr. Chia-Hui Tsai. He came to the United States in 2014 after finishing the mandatory military service as Corporal in the Army Band. First Prize Winner in Young Artists Competition (2011) in Taiwan, Yen-Wei performed with TNUA Symphony Orchestra under conductor Tien-Chi Lin, principal conductor of Taipei Philharmonic, in TNUA Concert Hall. He has been awarded several regional and national prizes in Taiwan and United States including: Kawai Youth Piano Competition (2004), National Music Competition in both Piano and Percussion categories (2008), TNUA Young Artists Piano Concerto Competition (2011), Music Teacher National Association Young Artists Piano Competition (2017) and Arizona State University Piano Concerto Competition (2017). In 2018, he has been invited to one of the world’s most prestigious music festivals, Aspen Music Festival, in Colorado.

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ZIYU CHEN Fifteen-year-old Ziyu Chen is student of Irvine high school in Irvine, California. He began his piano studies at four years old, and currently studies piano at Opus119 with Ethan Dong. In 2014, he received the award of excellence in the Prime Golden Bell Music Award of China. In January 2016, he made his orchestra debut in Wuhan, China. In 2016, he won honorable mention in MTAC concerto competition. In 2017, he won the first place in CAPMT Honors Competition and honorable mention in MTNA California Performance Competition. In the 2018 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, he won the first place in division II and the best performance of any transcendental etude. In 2019, he won honorable mention in MTAC solo competition, won first place in Glendale Piano Competition, and first places in competitions in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.

WALTER COSAND Walter Cosand is a pianist and Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. He has degrees and a Performer’s Certificate from Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Cécile Genhart and Barry Snyder. He also studied with Brooks Smith and with Joerg Demus. His awards include the Eastman Concerto Competition, the International Piano Recording Competition and grants from the NEA and DAAD. He has been favorably reviewed in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and many music periodicals. An experienced recitalist and chamber music performer, he has also performed more than thirty . He has performed in Australia, Korea, China, Thailand, , Canada, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has been heard on NPR, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Korean Cable Television, AMD-TV Beijing and Ural Radio. He played in Weill Recital Hall, at the first Steinway Festival in Dalian, China, at Brazil’s Festival Virtuosi, and has performed solos with orchestras in thirteen cities in China. He taught classes at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, at Northwestern University, the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, the Mississippi Piano Showcase, at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, and at Instituto Politecnico, Castelo Branco, Portugal. In Korea he taught at Sunhwa Arts School, Sungshin Women’s University and Chugye University for the Arts. He has commissioned music from William Albright, , David Diamond, Rodney Rogers and Walter Saul, and worked with a host of other composers. Cosand’s personal website has long been a well-recognized resource for public domain . Cosand can be heard on ACA Digital, Advance, ARF, Canyon, Centaur, DPS, JIGU, Koch, Summit, and TimeGrabber recordings. Many of his former students are now successful concert artists, teachers or composers. He and violist Patricia Cosand have four children: David, Michael, Steven and Miriam. Cosand is a Steinway Artist.

CONG DING Born in China, Cong Ding started to study piano at age six. He has first studied with his father, Professor Yundong Ding, and later with the head of piano department at Jiangsu Normal University, Professor Jun Wang. In 2012, Ding was admitted by Nanjing Normal University School of music with the 2nd highest rank in the entrance examination. During his undergraduate studies, Cong studied with the head of the piano department, Professor Yuyu Zhang, and Professor Xiaofeng Wu. In 2016, Ding was admitted for his MM studies by the Cleveland Institute of Music with scholarship where he was a student of Professor Daniel Shapiro. Since 2018, Ding has attended Arizona State University School of Music where he studies in the doctoral piano program with Bösendorfer Artist Baruch Meir. In 2019, Cong won the second place in the 3rd “White Nights” International Piano Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. His other eccolades include the Silver prize in the 4th and 5th Shanghai International Youth Piano Competition; Gold prize in the Youth Group of the 23rd American Music Piano Competition and was invited to performed in Kulangsu Concert Hall in Xiamen. He won the Gold Prize in the Professional Group of the 6th “Cadanza” Piano Competition and the 2nd “Yamaha” Piano Competition in China, and the 2nd place in the Professional Group of Jiangsu Competition Area. In addition, Cong also represented the whole Jiangsu Competition Area and participated in The Prime Golden Bell Music Award of China – 3rd Yangtze River Piano Competition and won the Honorable Mention. Cong has performed recitals, master classes and lectures in many cities throughout China, including Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing Art College, Jiangsu Normal University, China University of Mining and Technology and Xiamen University. In August 2017, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Italian Naples Youth Orchestra at the 3rd Italian Todi International Piano Festival.

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GABRIEL DOBNER Pianist Gabriel Dobner has played for such notable singers as Rod Gilfry, Gerhard Siegel, René Kollo, Cornelia Kallisch and Kevin McMillan. He has recorded for Haenssler Klassik, Ottavo and for MDG (Musik Dabringhaus und Grimm). Following his 2nd recording with Mezzo-Soprano Cornelia Kallisch for MDG featuring Lieder of Johannes Brahms, Dobner was referred to as ‘A Master among Lieder Pianists’ by the West German Radio. His first recording with Metropolitan opera tenor, Gerhard Siegel was released by Haenssler Klassik Profil in 2015, featuring songs of Strauss, Schoenberg and Kurt Hessenberg. The duo most recently recorded Strauss and . Broadcast recordings include those for the Bavarian State Radio, West German Radio, North German Radio, Nippon Broadcasting Corporation in Japan, and Saint Paul Sunday in the United States. In 1993, Mr. Dobner moved to Germany to study Lied with Prof. Helmut Deutsch in . Upon winning the piano prize in the International Hans Pfitzner Lieder Competition in Munich, he established a solid reputation as a Lieder pianist. He has appeared in concert in Europe’s leading venues including the opera houses of Dresden, Hamburg and Zürich, Herkuleesaal in Munich, Kölner Philharmonie, Musikverein in Vienna, and Alte Oper in . He completed his BM Degree in piano at Roosevelt University with Prof. Ludmila Lazar, then continued his studies at Indiana University, completing his Masters and Doctoral Degrees with Prof. Leonard Hokanson. Dobner has been a member of the piano faculty at James Madison University since 2001. This past summer marked his third year on faculty at the AIMS Instititute in Graz, .

ALEXANDRE DOSSIN Considered by Martha Argerich an “extraordinary musician” and by the international critics a “phenomenon” and “a master of contrasts,” Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin keeps an active performing, recording and teaching careers. Currently on a part-time appointment as Associate Professor of Piano at the Melbourne Conservatorium, Alexandre Dossin is Professor of Piano and Chair of Piano at the University of Oregon School of Music. Originally from Brazil, Alexandre Dossin is a graduate from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Russia) and holds a doctorate from the University of at Austin (USA). He was assistant of Sergei Dorensky at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Willliam Race and Gregory Allen at UT-Austin. A prizewinner in several international piano competitions, Dossin received the First Prize and the Special Prize at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other international awards include the Silver Medal and second Honorable Mention in the Maria Callas Grand Prix, and Third Prize and Special Prize in the Mozart International Piano Competition, in addition to several prizes in Brazil. An active recording artist, he has 15 CDs released with several labels, including 6 CDs with Naxos and 6 editions/recordings for Schirmer. His work was praised in reviews by Diapason, The Financial Times, Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide, Clavier and other international publications. Dossin is the Vice President of the American Liszt Society, the President of the Oregon Chapter of the American Liszt Society and is one of the recipients of the prestigious Faculty Fund for Excellence at the University of Oregon. www. dossin.net

ROBERT W. ESHBACH Robert Whitehouse Eshbach Violinist, conductor, and historian Robert Whitehouse Eshbach is an honors graduate of Yale University (BA), where he majored in music history and minored in German literature. He studied violin at the Vienna Conservatory (now the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität) with Walter Barylli, concertmaster of the and State Opera Orchestras, and earned a Master of Music degree in violin at Conservatory, studying with Eric Rosenblith. He studied music history with, among others, Alejandro Planchart, Robert Bailey, Frank D’Accone, William Waite, Claude Palisca and Daniel Pinkham, and German literature with Cyrus Hamlin, Jeffrey Sammons, and Peter Demetz. His recent publications and invited papers have focused on nineteenth-century musicians: Joachim, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Robert and Clara Schumann, Reinecke, Ede Reményi, and Wilhelmine Norman-Neruda (Lady Hallé). His article, “Joachim’s Youth — Joachim’s Jewishness,” was published in the Winter 2011 issue of The Musical Quarterly. His chapter “The Joachim Quartet Concerts at the Sing-Akademie zu : Mendelssohnian Geselligkeit in Wilhelmine Germany” appeared in the volume Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall: Between Private and Public Performance, Katy Hamilton and Natasha Loges (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2014, and his most recent paper, “‘For all are born to the ideal’ and ” has been accepted for print by Music & Letters. Eshbach has presented papers in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Southampton, Meiningen, , Weimar, New York, , New Haven, Nashville, , Chapel Hill, and elsewhere. In June 2016, he and Valerie Goertzen of Loyola University New Orleans co-hosted the “International Conference Joseph Joachim at 185” at the Goethe Institut Boston. Eshbach is an associate professor of music at the University of New Hampshire. He maintains a website dedicated to his Joachim research at: http://josephjoachim.com.

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MILES FAWSON Miles Fawson, age 15, is a sophomore at Casteel High School in Gilbert, Arizona where he performs in the top orchestra on both violin and piano. For the past three and a half years, Miles has studied piano with Dr. Baruch Meir at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Miles has won many prizes in piano competitions including 1st prize at the 2019 White Nights International Piano Festival Youth Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was selected as a winner in the 2019 Phoenix Youth Symphony’s 59th Annual Young Musicians Concerto Competition, and won 2nd prizes at the 2019 Angelo and Micheline Addona Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition (Junior Division), the 2019 Angelo and Micheline Addona Arizona Young Artist Concerto Competition (Senior Division), and the 2019 Steinway Avanti Piano Competitions. Also in 2019, Miles was selected to receive a WorldStrides OnStage Maestro Award in Anaheim, California for his solo work with an orchestra. Miles won 1st prize at the 2016 and 2017 Musicfest Young Musicians Piano Festivals in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has won top prizes at past competitions including: Steinway Avanti, the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competition, and the Arizona State Music Teachers Association (ASMTA) Honors Recitals. Miles was a Second Place Winner in the 2013 American Protégé Music Talent Competition in New York and has a Gold Medal in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. Miles has had the privilege of performing in many inspiring concerts as a soloist. He participated in the White Nights International Piano Festival (2017 and 2019) in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Interlochen Piano Institute (2019) in Michigan, and in the Arizona Piano Institute (2018). Miles has had the wonderful opportunity to work with Vadim Monastyrski, Alexey Sokolov, Christopher Harding, Jerome Lowenthal, Michael Coonrod, Thomas Lymenstull, Spencer Myer, Eckhart Sellheim, Dian Baker, Yuri Kot, and Olga Kern.

CAROLE FITZPATRICK Carole FitzPatrick is an Associate Professor of Voice and the Voice Area Coordinator at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts School of Music. She began her professional opera career with engagements in and Osnabrück, Germany, and then joined the ensemble of the State Theater of Nürnberg. Her extensive opera repertoire during her 17 years in Germany included the leading female roles in operas by Mozart,), Verdi, Puccini, Strauss, Wagner and many others, having sung over 60 major roles in European opera houses. Her concert work has been extensive as well, including concert tours in France and Spain, and performances in Finland, Austria, Holland, the Czech Republic, Luxemburg, and Russia. Prof. FitzPatrick was a vocal advisor for the Nürnberg State Theater’s Opera Studio for Young Singers. She was selected by the City of Osnabrück as “Citizen of the Year” and was named by the professional magazine Opernwelt as one of its “Singer of the Year” candidates. In 2005 she participated in the premiere performance of Wagner’s in Beijing, and in 2006 sang “Donna Anna” in in the Hong Kong Festival of the Arts. Since moving back to the United States in 2005, she has made numerous appearances with the US and European orchestras. Ms. FitzPatrick can be heard on the CD Two Plus One (Cavalli Records), a collection of duets with colleagues Robert Barefield and Eckart Sellheim. FitzPatrick and Barefield, along with ASU colleague Russell Ryan on piano, released a CD called Occident Meets Orient (Albany Records). She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and two master’s degrees from the Yale University School of Music.

ERIC FLYTE Eric J. Flyte, tenor, has performed in recital, concert, and staged performances throughout the USA, Austria, and southern Germany. A current Doctoral Student of Voice Performance at Arizona State University, Eric performs regularly with the ASU Music Theatre and Opera and ASU Chamber Singers. Recent stage credits at ASU include Sir Joseph Porter, KCB (HMS Pinafore), Monostatos (The Magic Flute), Damon (Acis and Galatea), Vasek (), Le Mari (Mamelle de Tiresias), and The Preacher (Bernstein MASS). Past credits include (Die Fledermaus) with Opera Ithaca, with whom Eric served as an Apprentice Artist, King Ouf I (L’etoile), and many others. Recent professional engagements include performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana (Tenor Soloist) with the Mount Desert Summer and Cendrillon with The Opera Company of Middlebury, with whom Eric also served as a Young Artist. Off the stage, Eric serves as section leader for the choir of Paradise Valley United Methodist Church in Phoenix. He is a student of Carole FitzPatrick.

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KEMAL GEKIC “Gekic rides the charismatic edge of genius” R. Dyer, Boston Globe “He is something like a general who has learned all the rules in the book and is therefore free to ignore them in the time of war” James Roos, Miami Herald “His playing is transcendental as well as incandescent” John Ardoin, Dallas Morning News Performing worldwide from a vast repertoire, Kemal Gekic presents fascinating, uncompromising and ever-changing interpretations as a soloist and in collaboration with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, Warsaw Philharmonic and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. As a recording artist, Kemal Gekic has won accolades in Europe, America and Japan for insightful, original views of the music. Among his 15 solo-albums,his Rossini-Liszt transcriptions (Naxos) won “The Rosette” of The Penguin Guide for Music, while his recording of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes (JVC) is generally considered to be one of the best recordings of the set in history. Born in Split, Croatia, Kemal Gekic got his early training from Prof. Lorenza Baturina. He earned his MD in the class of Prof.Jokuthon Mihailovic(1985) at the Art Academy of Novi Sad ,Yugoslavia and was immediately given a faculty appointment by the piano department which he eventually directed until 1999. Since 1999 he has been Artist in Residence at the Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where he teaches piano performance classes. Kemal Gekic is a guest lecturer at numerous universities and academies throughout the world. He has served as a juror on numerous piano competitions. Since 2010 he also directs Kemal Gekic Summer School and Festival in Split, Croatia.Programs on his life and his performances were broadcast by RAI Italy, TV Portugal, TV Yugoslavia, NHK Japan, POLTEL Poland, RTV Lower Saxony Germany, Intervision, CBC and PBS.

GILA GOLDSTEIN Pianist Gila Goldstein has performed as a solo artist and a collaborative pianist throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Korea, the Philippines, Europe and . Her most notable performances included the Berliner Symphoniker, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Da Camera in Mexico City and the Lincoln Symphony in Nebraska, as well as recitals and concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Old First Church in San Francisco, Gardner Museum in Boston, Symphony Hall in Chicago, Beijing Concert Hall, Seoul National University, Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, South Bank Center in London, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Musée de Louvre in , Henry Crown Hall in Jerusalem and the Museum, among others. A Board member of the American Liszt Society (ALS) and the Founder-President of its NY/ NJ Chapter since 1992, she has been a frequent guest performer at the ALS annual festivals around the USA and Canada. A champion of the music of Israel’s leading composer Paul Ben-Haim in the past two decades as a performer and recording artist, Ms. Goldstein has recorded two volumes of his entire piano and chamber works on the Centaur label. Gila Goldstein serves as the Chair of the Piano Department at Boston University School of Music, and the Director of the Young Artists Piano Program at Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She has given master classes and adjudicated international and national piano competitions throughout the USA, in Israel, China, the Philippines and Korea. She obtained her music degrees in piano performance from the School of Music and the Tel-Aviv University’s School of Music. Her teachers included Prof. Nina Svetlanova and Prof. Victor Derevianko. Please visit her web site, www.gilagoldstein.com.

ROBERT HAMILTON Internationally respected pianist and recording artist Robert Hamilton has enjoyed the distinction of being enthusiastically reviewed by the two late-20th c. chief music critics for The New York Times. Harold C. Schonberg (who also authored The Great Pianists) wrote: “He is a fine artist. All of Hamilton’s playing has color and sensitivity…one of the best of the million or so around.” And Donal Henahan reported: “It was an enthralling listening experience. We must hear this major talent again, and soon!” Hamilton has made numerous concert tours of four continents, appearing in the major halls of most music capitals. His orchestral engagements have included the Chicago Symphony, National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony and S.O.D.R.E in Montevideo. He has been heard over radio networks NPR, ABC, BBC London, Voice of America, Armed Forces Network, DRS Zurich, Radio Warsaw, as well as Russian television. His recordings for Phillips, Orion and Summit Records have brought praise from various publications. The American Record Guide: “I never expected to hear anyone play Mozart so sensitively in this day and age. Almost unbelievable beauty. The perfect recording of Mozart piano music.” Fanfare: “The caliber of his artistry and the remarkable acuity of his insight are unique in my experiences with this music (Nielsen piano works)”. While recently including Hamilton’s Ravel CD in “The Top Ten Classical Albums Available in 2018” (Classics Overseas), Chinese critic Keju Zhang wrote: “His greatness includes masterful control of piano sonorities. When he plays Ravel, he creates subtle changes of sound colors, and such inner beauty that at times the sound walks between soft and mute effects with the truest of melancholy feeling. His Miroirs is unquestionably on a par with any ‘historically best’ interpretation. Hamilton is a rare Ravel specialist.”

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JAY HERSHBERGER Pianist Jay Hershberger is president of the American Liszt Society. He has played throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. His domestic performances include the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Library of Congress. He has also been frequent guest artist at the Great Romantics Music Festival in Canada. He has performed in Europe, most recently in Finland, and has appeared in European music festivals such as the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in southern Italy and the South Bohemia Music Festival in the Czech Republic. He toured major cities in China, and has performed at music festivals in and Italy. Jay is currently Professor of Piano, Organ, and Church Music, and is Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. An active adjudicator, Hershberger has judged for the Chicago International Music Competition and Festival, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, the Los Angeles Young Musicians International Competition, the Phoenix Young Artist Competition, the San Angelo Symphony Sorantin Awards, the Lee Biennial Competition, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Young Artist Competition, and the Music Teachers National Association Performance Competitions. His compact disc Transfigured Shadows, selected piano works by Franz Liszt, was featured on Michael Barone’s New Releases radio program on Minnesota Public Radio. Hershberger is also an active church musician, and is currently the director of music at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, ND. He is also orchestral pianist for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony.

HONG-AN HOANG Hong-An, 17, is a student of Molly Nguyen. She started playing piano at the age of six. An has won numerous prizes in state, national, and international piano competitions, including the 2017 and 2018 Grand Prize Virtuoso, Lansum International Music Festival, MTAC Concerto Competition, Southwest Youth Music Festival, and CAPMT Young Musicians Concerto Competition. She was the first prize winner of the 2018 Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition and was also the recipient of the Best Transcendental Etude Award that was performed at the Winner Concert. Just recently, she won the Grand and First Prize at the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition in Concerto category. She was invited to perform Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 with the OC Symphony. She will be traveling to next summer to make her debut with the National Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. She also made her first debut at Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall at age 15. An, alongside world-renowned violinist Drew Tretick, gave an exclusive concert at Nixon Library in 2017. She loves to do ensemble making with her colleagues. Besides her great passion for piano and music, An enjoys cooking for her family, traveling and going on adventures with her loved ones. Her goal after graduating high school is to major in Piano Performance at a Conservatory, School or Institute of Music.

CAROLINE HONG Caroline Hong received her training from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University (BM, scholarship student, graduating with performance honors), The (MM), and Indiana University (DM) where she served as an associate instructor for theory and secondary piano. She served this past summer as faculty member at the Amalfi Coast Music Arts Festival Piano Program, was on faculty at Vianden International Festival and School (Luxembourg), Longwood University, and was the first female faculty member for the Piano at Peabody Roads Scholar summer program. She is currently serving as Professor of Piano at The Ohio State University, in addition to serving as faculty for the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Hong has a strong teaching record as evidenced by her students who have won positions in international competitions and music academia. She has had the privilege of working with luminaries such as the late Martin Canin, Jerome Lowenthal, Sergei Babayan, Dmitrii Paperno, Ann Schein, the late Karen Shaw, James Tocco, M. Deitzer and Fernando Laires; and Claude Frank, John Browning, Leon Fleisher, Gyorgy Sebok, and Menahem Pressler in master classes. Her first teacher, with whom she began study of piano at age two, was her mother, Mrs. Koon Ja Hong. Hong has competed internationally and has been featured on radio broadcasts worldwide, as a performer for the Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy, Robert Sherman’s “Young Artists Showcase” (New York Times Radio), and South Afrikaans radio, among others. She the Executive and Artistic Director of the Franz Liszt (U.S.) International Festival and Competition, a Steinway Artist, and the principal founder of the American Liszt Society Ohio Chapter. Other professional affiliations include Columbus Symphony, the Board of Directors at the American Liszt Society, and Classical Artist Management with Jack Price.

CHUNGHWA HUR Chunghwa Hur studied in Korea (Seoul National University, College of Music) and received the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Arts degree. She continued graduate study in US (University of Arizona, School of Music) and received the Doctor of Musical Arts in 1997. She began teaching career as a teaching assistant at Seoul National University and University of Arizona. As an instructor, she taught at Seoul National University, Sejong University, Jeonju University, and Jeonbuk National University from 1997 to 1999. She joined the Sunchon National University in 1999. Chunghwa Hur taught piano performance

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and classes comprising piano literature, music theory and history as well as graduate level seminar courses. With colleague professors, she launched the highly successful faculty concert series, one of the most brilliant performances in Korea. She performs regularly throughout Korea and around the world including Bulgaria, China, Germany, Japan, Thailand, US., and Vietnam. Currently, she is the piano faculty of Sunchon National University and the director of Korean Music Society, Piano Society of Korea, and Korean Liszt Society.

YUN HA HWANG Korean Pianist Yun Ha Hwang, was written about in New York Times as “a true crowd-pleaser with a large, power-house sound and an unveiled artistic temperament”. She has won several competitions such as “Artist International Competition”, “Urbino Americani Musicisti Festival Competition”, “Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition”, “Tokyo International Piano Duo Competition”, “Pusan Competition”, and “Dong-A Competition”. She also had concerts with various orchestras such as Americani Musicisti Festival, S.N.U. Symphony, New York Seoul Symphony, Seoul Symphony, Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Academy Ensemble Orchestra. Ms. Hwang founded ‘Korean Liszt Society’ in 1999 and ‘Korean Liszt Competition’ in 2009, and has filled the president of the society up to date. For her continuous devotion to the cultural exchange between Korea and , she was awarded ‘Pro Cultura Hungarica’ medal(2004) and the Cross for Merit(2016) from Hungarian government. And she was received the title of “Honorary Patron of the Liszt Academy of Music” for her ‘most valuable activity in promoting the legacy of Ferenc Liszt and fostering the international reputation of the Liszt Academy of Music in the Republic of Korea’ in 2012. She received her B.M. from the college of Music in Seoul National University(Korea), M.M. from Manhattan School of Music(USA), and completed her Doctoral course from the latter school. Ms. Hwang was a member of the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, Tivoliclassica/ Caprarola/ Urbino/ International Music Festival in Italy, Amati Music Festival(NY), and International Piano Master Classes(2008), Prague Institute & Music Festival(2013). She is currently a member of the faculty at the Yonsei University.

JOOYOUNG KIM Dr. Jooyoung Kim has been critically acclaimed on international stages for her dazzling technique and superb musicianship. Since making her debut at the age of twelve as a soloist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Kim has presented numerous solo and chamber recitals in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. including the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, St. Martin-in-the-Fields Concert Series, Korea/ Japan Concert Tour, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Falcone-Borsellino Hall, Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kaluga Philharmonic Hall, Indiana Landmarks Center, Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall and Sejong Cultural Center. Her Carnegie Hall debut was described as “a forceful, poetic, sensitive and at times even playful reading of Liszt. Technically wonderful playing of a very high level.” She has also appeared as a soloist with many orchestras including the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Yonsei Sinfonietta, Yale University Symphony Orchestra, and the Ball State Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Kim has presented guest recitals, lecturers, and master classes for universities, music festivals, music teachers’ organizations, and national conferences. An award-winning artist, Dr. Kim has taken top prizes in national and international competitions, including the Joong-Ang National Music Competition, Kingsville International Piano Competition, IBLA Grand Prize International Competition, Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition, BSU Concerto Competition, International Beethoven Competition, Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, Montpelier Art Recital Competition, and the Taneev International Chamber Ensemble Competition. She has also won grants and fellowships, including two Aspire Creative Arts grants. Dr. Kim, who holds degrees from Yonsei University, Universität der Künste Berlin, and Ball State University, serves on the piano faculty at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is also piano faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp during summer. Dr. Kim has recently released her solo CD on MSR Classics and is now available on MSR Classics, Amazon, and iTunes.

LUCIE KIM Lucie Kim, 13, is an eighth grader at Orange County School of the Arts. She began piano lessons at age six and currently studies under the tutelage of Ariel Yang and mentored by Ethan Dong at Opus 119 School of Music. Lucie’s honors include 1st prize at the San Jose International Piano Competition, 1st prize at the 2018 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition where she received a special prize for the “Best Performance of Etude de Concert” among all age divisions, and Silver Medal at the 2019 Virginia Waring International Junior Solo Competition. Lucie has participated in masterclasses with Ning An, Dmitry Rachmanov, and William Grant Naboré. In early 2019, Lucie organized and performed in a solo benefit concert for Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). After a successful concert where she surpassed her goal of fundraising $2000, Lucie has been actively using her passion for music to support CHOC at charity events. In her spare time, she enjoys brush lettering, reading, and playing golf with her family.

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JUSTIN KOLB Some facts about Justin: He describes as his specialty, “music that lives in undeserved obscurity”. Traveling from Tehran and to Santa Barbara and Eugene Justin has carved a performance career that in his words, “Has been wonderfully fulfilling”. The NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Berlin’s Die Welt, Baltimore Sun, and the Woodstock Times more than once have lauded his performances. He has been selected by composers of note to perform premieres of new compositions. i.e. Robert Starer, John Downey, Peter Schickele, William Ferris, Robert Cucinotta, and Paul Alan Levi. ustin has performed as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, NW Indiana Symphony, Hamburg Philharmonic the Amernet String Quartet et al. The Albany Records artist also enjoys Motivational Speaking for middle and secondary level music students ( public, private ,and charter schools), and presenting Career Development Workshops for performers (Chamber Music America, American Liszt Society, MTNA, colleges, conservatories, Competitions, and piano manufacturers) Justin is a recipient of the distinguished Alumni Award of DePaul University. He also is a recipient of The Legion of Merit Medal from the US Army, serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice (The Catskill Park) and serves as Executive Secretary on the Board of Directors of the American Liszt Society. Justin is not agented and may be contacted by visiting justinkolb.com.

AOSHUANG LI Aoshuang Li recently won the grand prize in the 2019 Los Angeles Young Musician International Competition and was awarded the bronze medal from the 2019 International Keyboard Odyssiad Competition. During the Ninth Bösendorfer International Piano Competition, she received the most outstanding Arizona pianist award; in addition, her performance of Messiaen’s Regard de l’Esprit de joie from Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus received the Sangyoung Kim Award for the most outstanding performance of a virtuoso work. Besides her solo performance awards, Li has won numerous piano concerto competitions in the United States, including the 2018-2019 Lorin Hollander Award—The American Prize in Piano Concerto Performance (college/university division), second prize in the 2019 Grand Junction Symphony Guild’s Young Artist Competition, and first prize in the 2016 Atlantic Music Festival Concerto Competition. Her performances of the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 and Stravinsky Piano Concerto won the 2019 Arizona State University Concerto Competition and the 2017 New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition. During the past years, Li has given solo performances at world-renowned concert halls, such as Boston’s Jordan Hall, the National Center Concert Hall and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Li completed her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees at New England Conservatory under the guidance of Gabriel Chodos and Max Levinson. In the fall of 2018, Li began her doctoral study at Arizona State University with professor Robert Hamilton.

PHILBERT KING YUE LI Winner of the Competitions in the “White Night” International Piano Festival, Monegrarte International Piano Competition, North International Music Competition, Japan-Hong Kong International Music Competition and the Hong Kong-Asia Piano Open Competition, Philbert King Yue Li traveled across Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, Spain and the United States to perform. Before pursuing postgraduate studies in the USA, Philbert’s talent has been recognized in his hometown in Hong Kong. He was top prize winner of prestigious competitions such as the Hong Kong Youth Culture & Art Development Association’s Competition and the Hong Kong (Asia Pacific) Piano Competition. Taking advantage of the continual British influence in Hong Kong music education, Philbert obtained piano certifications such as the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music and the Fellowship of the Trinity College London. As a result of his academic and pianistic achievements, he received scholarships from the Hong Kong Government, Au Bak Ling Charity Trust, and the Temple University. Beyond performance, Philbert is also a specialist in education and music theory. He holds an education degree with First Class Honor and the Licentiate of the Trinity College London, and has given private lessons for twelve years. The age of his students ranges from early childhood to adult, and he has diverse experience in both individual and classroom settings. Born in Hong Kong, Philbert earned his master’s degree in piano performance at Temple University. There, he studied piano with Clipper Erickson and historical instruments with Joyce Lindorff. He also had couching sessions from Aquiles Delle Vigne, Bernd Goetzke, Charles Abramovic, Christopher Harding, Daniel Pollack, Douglas Humpherys, Edward Auer, Logan Skelton, Seymour Lipkin, and Vadim Monastyrski. Philbert is now pursuing his Doctorate degree in piano performance with Baruch Meir at the Arizona State University with a teaching assistantship.

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JOSÉ R. LÓPEZ José R. López is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Keyboard Studies Program at Miami’s Florida International University, president of the South Florida Chapter of the American Liszt Society, and Honorary Officer (Secretary) of the ’s Alkan Society. He has performed throughout the United States, Italy and Central and South America as a recitalist and chamber musician. A founding member of the Deering Estate Chamber Ensemble, he co-founded the Deering Estate’s Chamber Concert Series for 12 years. A versatile pianist and enthusiastic performer of chamber music, he has recorded for SNE, Albany, Innova and Classics record labels. His discography for Toccata includes the complete works of Italian dodecaphonic composer Riccardo Malipiero; Alkan’s complete Mozart transcriptions and an ongoing series dedicated to forgotten Cuban/Spanish composers, with the 2015 release of works by José Comellas (1842-1888). His upcoming 2019 release of selected works and opera transcriptions by Nicolás Ruiz Espadero (1832-1890) complements López’s upcoming publication of Espadero’s unpublished Transcendental Studies and opera transcriptions, scheduled for fall 2019 in the Cuban Musical Patrimony series. López received his MM and DMA degrees from the University of Miami School of Music, where he studied with Rosalina Sackstein, a former pupil of Rafael de Silva and .

KEVIN MCMILLAN Kevin McMillan is one of the most respected lyric baritones and vocal pedagogues of his generation. Critics have praised his “elegant voice” and “singularly remarkable interpretive skills” in appearances with almost every major North American orchestra under conductors such as Norrington, Blomstedt, Davis, Järvi, Dutoit, Rilling and the late , , Jesus Lopez-Cobos, , and Frühbeck de Burgos. His Carmina burana recording with Herbert Blomstedt and the received a GRAMMY award. After schooling in Canada at the University of Guelph and Western University, he attained a Master’s degree from the Juilliard School. He is a Professor of Voice in the School of Music at James Madison University, where he teaches a full studio of undergraduate and graduate voice students, Undergraduate and Graduate Vocal Pedagogy, coaches the JMU Bach Aria Group, and serves as the Voice Area Auditions & Admissions Coordinator.

BARUCH MEIR Pianist Baruch Meir is one of only 65 artists worldwide named Bösendorfer Concert Artist since the founding of the company in 1828. He is the founder, president and artistic director of the Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition. Baruch Meir has performed extensively as soloist and pedagogue in America, Asia and Europe. An associate professor of piano and coordinator of the piano area at ASU, Meir maintains a busy teaching schedule in addition to his international concert career. He toured China’s main conservatories four times and was recently awarded a guest professorship at Wenzhou University. Meir has given master classes at the Music Academy in Vienna, the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, The Buchman-Mehta Academy at , and the Manhattan School of Music among many others. A native of Israel, Meir is a summa cum laude graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University, where he earned his master’s degree in piano performance. He holds the Artist Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from ASU. His teachers include Rachel Gordon, Valter Aufheuser, Pnina Salzman, Michael Bugoslavsky, Irina Zaritskaya and Robert Hamilton. At Arizona State University, Meir maintains a class of outstanding pianists from all over the world. His students were awarded top prizes in various competitions, including first prizes at the Schmindbauer International Competition, Yamaha USASU International Junior and Senior Competition for Young Pianists, Young Concert Artist International Competition, White Nights International Competition, Washington International Piano Artists Competition, as well as winners at the ASU Concerto Competition. Meir also frequently adjudicates in various international piano competitions worldwide. In summers he teaches at the John Perry Academy, Semper Music International Festival in Italy and the White Nights International Piano Festival at , Russia.

MICHELLE NAM Canadian Pianist Michelle Yelin Nam has been praised for her “ silvery clarity, brilliant talent with a highly overt and dynamic temperament,” ( Gazette) playing “ in the manner of the greats, before having their age’ ( La Presse). Her concerto credits include multiple performances with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony and Ensembles in New York City, Seoul, and Halifax, and Jefferson City, Kansas City, ASU Symphony Orchestra. As a recitalist she gave a twenty city Canadian tour throughout , Ontario and the Maritimes, USA, China, Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, at Banff and Orford Art Centers, Houses of Jeunesses Musicales of Canada, Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, Tempe Center for the Arts, and Kauffman Center for the Arts, Winspear Hall, National Art Center in Harbin, and Tinjin, China, National Arts Center in Seoul. These performances were frequently simulcast on Radio and she has been chosen as one of the top three remarkable pianists by La Scena Musical during Chopin Project directed by Musical

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Classic in Canada in 2019 as well. Her piano trio appeared in a master class with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Ms. Nam is currently pursuing her DMA at Arizona State University with Robert Hamilton. She completed two Artist Diploma from the Manhattan School of Music and Hartt School, master’s degree at the Juilliard School, and Bachelor degree at McGill University. Her teachers include Phillip Kawin, Haisun Paik, and Richard Raymond. She has also received awards from many international competitions such as the Anne Burrows Fund, for the Arts, Winspear Foundation for the Arts, OSM Standard Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer competition, Hastings International piano competition, International Stepping Stone, and first prize at the International Keyboard Institution and Festival in New York.

KSENIA NOSIKOVA Pianist Ksenia Nosikova, praised as “First rate” (Germany’s Fono Forum), “Full of dramatic intensity” (London’s International Piano), “Subtle and expressive” (France’s Journal L’Alsace) “Impressive musicianship, musically very poetic” (Boston Globe), and “Refined sensibility and exquisite pianism” (New York Concert Reviews), has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, Russia, USA, Canada, and South America. The scope of her concert engagements expands from prestigious professional concert venues, such as Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Shanghai City Hall in China, City Hall Theatre in Hong Kong, Chetham’s International Piano Series in England, and Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, to major academic institutions world-wide. Her diverse and extensive repertoire list consists of masterworks and lesser-known pieces, as well as over 30 piano concertos. She has recorded for Profil Medien, Albany Records, Centaur Records, and Capstone Records labels. Among her nine critically-acclaimed recordings are the complete Years of Pilgrimage by Franz Liszt, called an ‘outstanding achievement’ by Classics Today and “super disc” by London’s International Piano magazine. A graduate of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and University of Colorado, Dr. Ksenia Nosikova is a Professor of Piano and Co-Chair of Piano Department at the University of Iowa. Her students have won prizes at various national and international competitions and have been accepted to prominent music programs, including Curtis, Juilliard, Colburn, Eastman, and Peabody. She has presented over 250 master classes in the US and abroad, most recently at the Beijing Central, China, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xian, Sichuan, Tianjin, and Shenyang conservatories and Hong Kong Academy in China. She is a faculty member of the Semper International Music Festival in Italy and Wiener MusikSeminar International Master Classes in Austria. She serves on the American Liszt Society’s Board of Directors and is the Artistic Director of Piano Sundays at Old Capitol Concert Series (IA). Ksenia Nosikova is a Steinway Artist.

RYO OGURI Ryo Oguri was born in 1994, started to play piano at age of 5, and studied with Kimiko Shiomaki. From 2004 until 2011 he studied with Claudio Soares, and from 2012, studied at Kyoto City University of Arts with Macoto Ueno, and later Yuko Mihune. From 2018, he began studying at Arizona State University with Caio Pagano. He has received several prizes: at Daito Yamaha Competition as the youngest, gold, silver, bronze medals at PTNA competition, encouragement award at the 14th Hamamatsu piano academy competition, and first prizes at the seventh Sakai piano competition class D and the third Ishikawa international piano competition. He received a scholarship from Aoyama foundation in 2015 and received a special talent award and the Helene M. Robinson Music Scholarship at Arizona State University. He performed solo recitals at Subaru hall, Kadoma Art Hall in Osaka, Matsuo Gakki in Hyogo, Asai Art Hall in Shiga, Endo Museum in Kyoto, etc, as well as joint recitals with Vinh Nguyen in Japan and Vietnam. In that tour, he performed at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam. He performed several concertos with the Osaka Chamber Orchestra, the Ribeirao Pleto Symphony, Primo Passo Orchestra, and Nagahama Festival Orchestra. He was involved in many chamber musicians, such as Osamu Mukai the principal cellist of Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Cruz concertmaster of Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and Brian Thornton Cleaveland Orchestra.

CAIO PAGANO “Pagano is such a fine performer that any opportunity to hear him should be seized”. Joseph McLellan, Washington Post Caio Pagano is an internationally renowned concert pianist, teacher and scholar. He is professor of piano at ASU since 1986 having earned the honor of Regents’ Professor of Piano. He is the recipient of many piano performance awards in Europe and in Brazil. Pagano has performed throughout four continents in more than 900 public performances as recital soloist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. He has premiered 36 works in concert halls worldwide, 25 of these were works written anddedicated to him by the composers, including several concertos for piano and orchestra. He has also recorded several of these works. Among the remarkable premières was the performance of Pousseur’s Apostrophe, along with Beethoven’s Diabelli in Washington D.C. and New York, which received following reviews: “The Pousseur was transcendent, and Beethoven was absolutely first-class, simultaneously idiomatic and original.” New York Times. “I started jotting comments after each variation, but I abandoned that as I realized I was being presented with a conception that was an incandescent entity.” Washington Post. He performed with orchestras throughout the world conducted by Sergiu Comissiona, Camargo

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Guarnieri, Szimon Goldberg, Howard Griffits, John Neschling, James Sedares, , Ernest Bour, Morton Gould, Roberto Minczuk. His programs are vast and have included great Masters of the XXth century; he performed Berg’s “Chamber Concerto”, Schoenberg’s Concerto, Bartók’s II Concerto for the first time ever in Brazil, as well as the complete works of Schoenberg; and a number of world premières of contemporary composers such as Guarnieri ( 6th. Sonatina), Koellreutter ( Acronon), ( Concerto and Vento Noroeste), Correa de Oliveira ( Concerto), James DeMars ), Glenn Hackbart, Almeida Prado and many others, all dedicated to him.

DEREK PARSONS From his orchestral debut at age 12, Canadian pianist Derek Parsons has been performing for appreciative audiences in a career that has spanned four decades and three continents. Critics have hailed him as “a wonderfully sensitive musical artist” “…[exhibiting] extraordinary technique” (The Brantford Expositor) and his performances, “…a drama of epic proportions”, “…in total command” (The Evening Telegram), and “the range of colors is impressive…” (American Record Guide). His repertoire encompasses a wide spectrum of styles, genres, and periods. Since joining the faculty at Furman University (Greenville, SC) he has performed concerti of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Gershwin, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich with several regional ensembles. Realizing a career-long dream, Parsons co-authored a piano reduction of the underappreciated Healey Willan Piano Concerto, which was published through the Healey Willan Society in 2017. He has subsequently received a three-year Furman grant to offer several performances of the reduction and to record the original work with orchestra. Parsons enjoys a long and productive association with the South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association. He has given performances on several SCMTA conference programs, and served as President of the organization from 2010-2012. He is an active member of the American Liszt Society, performing in the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 Festivals, and serving as Artistic Director of the 2018 Festival at Furman University. His solo disc, Liszt: The Poet Inspired, was released in June 2015. Other CD’s as a member of The Ambassador Duo (with Clifford Leaman, saxophone) are also available under the Equilibrium label. Parsons holds diplomas in Performance Studies from Trinity College, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Michigan. His teachers have included Theodore Lettvin, Charles Fisher, Martin Katz, and ; additional studies have been with Guido Agosti, Cecile Ousset, and Ivan Morovec.

ÉVA POLGÁR Éva Polgár’s artistry is characterized by clarity, conviction, and virtuosity. Critiques praise her for her “intelligent interpretation” (Funzine Magazine), capability of “fully entering into the spirit of narrating a story” (Arkivmusic), and “vibrant technique” (American Hungarian Journal). Her dedication to her native Hungarian culture resulted in researching Béla Bartók’s piano of his original orchestral compositions and specializing in Franz Liszt’s music. Her Liszt interpretation was praised by Liszt scholar Alan Walker as “A stunning performance! A real artist!” and she was featured at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Hungarian Culture Centre in London, and the Liszt Ferenc Museum and Research Center in Budapest. Polgár’s concerto performances include concerts with conductors Tamás Vásáry at the Budapest Danube Palace and Horst Förster at the Leipzig . In the realm of cross-disciplinary endeavors, she collaborates extensively with visual artist Sándor Vály. Their experimental music albums released under Ektro Records have been broadcast by the Finnish Radio. Polgár has won top prizes in competitions including the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (LAILC). Polgár is a co-director of LAILC, which empowers her to foster young musicians at their early stage of professional career. A committed educator and adjudicator, she has appeared at masterclasses, festivals, and competitions such as LAILC, the Bogotá International Piano Festival in Columbia, Tulsa University Summer Piano Academy in Oklahoma, Florida International University in Miami, Florida, Montclair State University in New Jersey, and many more. A graduate of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and Sibelius Academy, Polgár has earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at the University of North Texas. She is currently on the piano faculty at Azusa Pacific University and is a collaborative pianist at the University of Redlands in Southern California.

ELISABETH AND EUGENE PRIDONOFF In 1982 Steinway Artists Elisabeth and Eugene Pridonoff formed the Pridonoff Duo and for thirty- five years were Professors of Piano and Duo in Residence at the University of Cincinnati, College- Conservatory of Music. Now Professors Emeriti, they continue to perform internationally and in May of 2019 had residencies at Soochow, Tunghai, Shih-Chien and Ping Tung Universities in Taiwan, Conservatory of Guizhou Normal University in Guiyang, China, and the Ichionkai School, and Tokyo Ondai-College in Japan. In June they were featured clinicians and judges for the Aloha International Piano Festival and Competition, and in July performed at taught at the Brevard Festival. In March of 2020 they will return to Tokyo for the 18th consecutive year. Co-Artistic Directors of the CCM Prague International Piano Institute for many years, they have served on the faculties of the Amalfi, Barcelona, Belgium, and Chautauqua Festivals, and since 2007 the

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Brevard Festival. They have recorded for ablaze RECORDS and gave the highly acclaimed world premier of Douglas Knehans’ CASCADE. The Pridonoffs serve as faculty members and consultants for the Arizona Piano Institute and work with teachers and their students to nurture leadership goals of “artist citizens” in today’s challenging environment for performing artists. “The Pridonoffs were charming….they favor a crisp precise style….buoyant and rhythmically alive, and marked by impressive unanimity of attack.” The New York Times “They have honed their performance to the highest possible degree of pianistic artistry.” The Arizona Republic “What is sure is that the Pridonoffs make an exciting team in a repertory that isn’t played in public enough”. The Denver Post.

DMITRY RACHMANOV Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov is the Chair of Keyboard Studies at California State University Northridge. A sought-after performer, master class clinician, adjudicator and lecturer, he has served on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and has had guest appearances at The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Eastman School, Royal Northern College of Music (UK), Shanghai and Beijing Central Conservatories. Rachmanov has performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican and South Bank Centres, at venues in Europe and Asia, and has collaborated as a soloist with the Ukraine National Symphony, National Orchestra of Porto and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has recorded for Naxos, Parma, Master Musicians and Vista Vera labels. An active member of the American Liszt Society, Dmitry Rachmanov served as the Artistic Director of the 2016 ALS Festival “Liszt and Russia” hosted by Cal State Northridge. He is the President of the society’s Southern California chapter. A proponent of Russian repertoire, Rachmanov gave the US premiere of Boris Pasternak Piano Sonata, broadcast by the NPR, and his recital “The Art of the 19th Century Russian ” was noted by the New York Times for “considerable color and focus” he brought to each work. A founding member of the Scriabin Society of America, his all-Scriabin 100th memorial anniversary program at Carnegie Zankel Hall was described as “a ‘poem of ecstasy’ in every sense: giant in conception, quantity, quality, execution, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity” by New York Concert Review. Dr. Rachmanov is a graduate of The Juilliard School (BM& MM) and Manhattan School of Music (DMA). A recipient of numerous awards, he was named the Academic Research Fellow for 2018-19 by the Mike Curb College at CSUN, and in January 2019 co-directed the inaugural ChamberFest at CSUN.

RUSSELL RYAN Russell Ryan was born in North Dakota, USA, and received his first piano lessons at the age of six. After his studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Paul Hersh, he participated in masterclasses at the Juilliard School in New York, and subsequently moved to Austria, where he studied piano chamber music under Prof. Georg Ebert at Vienna’s University for Music and the Performing Arts, graduating with honors. During his piano studies, he has worked with Irwin Freundlich, Adele Marcus, Thomas Schumacher, and Ingrid Haebler. In 1986 he became a member of staff of the vocal department at Vienna’s University for Music and Performing Arts, where, as of 1991, he worked as assistant in the Lied class of . In 2008, he received a Professorship of Practice for Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University and is guest instructor at the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) in Vienna. He performs regularly as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout Europe, the USA, Israel, Japan, and China. He has recorded several CDs, including the most recent recording of Schulhoff’s Concerto Doppio with Ulrike Anton and David Parry with the English Chamber Orchestra. Through the years, he has concertized extensively with the Austrian baritone, Wolfgang Holzmair, with whom he has recorded the Mahler Lieder cycles, , Schubert and Krenek. Chamber Music CDs include the Complete Flute Trios of J. Haydn, Austrian Flute Music through the Centuries (Zeitsprünge), and works by Hans Gal. Mr. Ryan has concertized in Wigmore Hall, the , the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, the Grieg Festival Oslo, Bergenser Festspillene, the Wiener Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, the Lincoln and Kennedy Center Series, and the Berlin Konzerthaus. In addition, he performed in the Weill Recital Hall at New York’s Carnegie Hall, accompanying Hugo Wolf’s major song-cycles on several evenings.

DANI SHRAIBMAN Israeli pianist and composer Dani Shraibman, began studying the piano at the late age of 14. Within three short years graduated with honors from the Conservatory of Music in Ashdod, Israel under renowned pianist Yanina Kudlik. Mr. Shraibman continued his studies receiving a Bachelor of Music from the Buchmann-Mehta School at Tel-Aviv University with Maestro Vag Papian, and a Masters of Music from Arizona State University with Dr. Baruch Meir. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate under the tutelage of Dr. Meir at Arizona State University. During his studies at ASU, Mr. Shraibman served as a Teaching Assistant and later as a Faculty Associate, teaching applied piano, piano ensembles and a special class of piano technique which he created in order to enrich and develop the technique of incoming freshman piano students to the school of music at ASU. As a soloist, Mr. Shraibman is the winner of numerous competitions including Israel’s “Ashdod Prize”

25 Performers and Presenters and “On the Way of the King”, a special “Audience Favorite” prize from the ISAM Festival in Germany, as well as participating in reputable international competitions such as the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in Utrecht, Netherlands and the Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition in Arizona. Additionally, Mr. Shraibman performed in concerts and festivals in the US, Israel, and Germany, as well as performing in master-classes for such esteemed teachers as Daniel Pollack, Dr. Asaf Zohar, Alexander Serdar, Michael Bogoslavsky, Lily Dorfman, Dr. Mark Fouxman and Olga Kern. As a composer, Mr. Shraibman studied composition in Israel with Josef Dorfman, and Gil Shohat, and he has composed numerous works, mainly for the piano. Mr. Shraibman is also deeply interested in the area of music history. Currently he is working on his doctoral research document dedicated to Sigismund Thalberg’s sonata for piano.

JOHN SOLARI John Solari is a Richmond, Virginia born musician currently studying and living in Phoenix. He recently completed a bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Arizona State University, and will remain to pursue a master’s degree in the same under the instruction of Dr. Baruch Meir. An enthusiastic performer of solo piano repertoire, John has attended national as well as international festivals including White Nights in St. Petersbourg and Brevard in North Carolina. He keeps a busy schedule collaborating with instrumentalists and vocalists in small and large ensembles, with a special affinity for and musical theatre. In addition, John has been studying organ and harpsichord music of the Renaissance and Baroque eras with Dr. Kimberly Marshall for several years.

STEVEN SPOONER At the very fore of American pianists, critics and audiences have unanimously hailed the distinctive and compelling performances of pianist Steven Spooner. “Such a breadth and variety of difficult pieces made me wonder at first if this (Dedications box set) was a hoax. But, no, the DVD proves that Steven Spooner is the real deal, a pianist of apparently limitless raw technique that’s almost note perfect.” “He might be the best faculty pianist I’ve heard” AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE. In 2016 he released a monumental project of 16 CDs honoring his heroes of the Russian School called Dedications that has received rave reviews from critics around the globe. Steven has released more than 30 recordings on the Naxos, A Life of Music, and several other labels. He has studied at Paris Conservatory, Moscow and Tbilisi Conservatories, and Indiana University, Bloomington. In addition to major prizes at all seven international piano competitions he entered, in 2008 he was the final recipient of the Ivory Classics Foundation prize that enabled him to apprentice with the legendary virtuoso Earl Wild. Steven has been appointed to the faculty of some of the most prestigious summer music festivals and is increasingly in demand for his masterclasses at major music institutions all over the world. Steven serves on the piano faculty at the University of Kansas and is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Music Competition and Festival. A dedicated and caring teacher of students from around the world, Steven’s pupils have been named winners of multiple prizes at important international and national piano competitions and enjoy performing careers of their own. Steven Spooner is a Steinway Artist. Further info: www.stevenspooner.com.

LIZA STEPANOVA Praised by The New York Times for her “thoughtful musicality” and “fleet-fingered panache,” Liza Stepanova has performed at the Berlin Philharmonie; the Weill and Zankel recital halls at Carnegie Hall; Alice Tully, Merkin, David Geffen, and Steinway halls in New York City; and at the Kennedy Center. She has appeared as a soloist with conductors James DePreist and Nicholas McGegan and live on WQXR New York, WFMT Chicago, and WETA Washington. Stepanova’s solo CD “Tones & Colors: Music and Visual Art” (2018), recorded with Grammy-winning producer Adam Abeshouse, was featured on Performance Today, in the BBC Music Magazine, and in recital at National Sawdust. Her most recent project “E Pluribus Unum” (PARMA Recordings, 2020) presents piano music by contemporary immigrant composers. 2019- 2020 concert highlights include invitations to the Bowdoin Music Festival and Prague Piano Festival, solo and concerto performances, and tours with the Lysander Piano Trio, winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, in Canada, Mexico, and across the US at Spivey Hall in Atlanta, the Crescent City Festival in New Orleans, Norton Museum in Palm Beach, and more. Stepanova has a special interest in art song having worked in multiple festivals with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. She is a long- standing faculty member and former Associate Artistic Director at SongFest at The Colburn School in Los Angeles. Stepanova holds degrees from the “Hanns Eisler” Academy in Berlin, Germany (BM) and The Juilliard School (MM, DMA) where she studied with Joseph Kalichstein, Seymour Lipkin, Jerome Lowenthal, and George Sava. Following teaching positions at Juilliard and Smith College, Stepanova is currently an assistant professor of piano at the University of Georgia. Her UGA students have been invited to the Aspen, Bowdoin, Chautauqua, and Salzburg Mozarteum summer programs, received scholarships to prestigious graduate programs, and consistently win competitions and awards.

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TINGSHUO TANG Tingshuo Tang is a doctoral student in piano performance at Arizona State University, studying under Professor Robert Hamilton. She obtained her master’s degree in music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Professor Yoshikazu Nagai, and her bachelor’s degree in music from Shanghai Conservatory of Music under Professor Yun Sun. Tingshuo has performed as soloist and chamber musician in the United States and China. She gave recitals in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Tingshuo has been invited to international music festivals, including the New Paltz Piano Summer festival, and has won many piano competitions, including the Arizona State University Concerto Competition and Dorothy Van Waynen Piano Competition etc. Tingshuo is currently a teaching assistant at Arizona State University.

SELENE HONGNI WU Born in Shanghai, China, pianist Selene Hongni Wu began studying piano when she was five years old. She attended Shanghai Music Elementary School attached to Shanghai Conservatory of Music at age 9, Studied with Steinway artist Christopher Zhong. At the same year, Selene won the “TOYAMA” International Teenager piano competition in Shanghai. Selene has won many top prizes of international competitions, including St. Andrews International Piano Concerto Competition, the 10th International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna, 2017-2018 MTNA steinway young artist piano competition and Walled the city International Piano Competition in Derry, North Ireland. She has performed in Shanghai, Vienna, Northern Ireland, Taiwan, Canada and United States. Selene is currently pursuing DMA study in Arizona State University with teaching assistantship. She receives her BM from East Tennessee State University with Dr. Chih- long Hu, and MM from Peabody Conservatory with Marian Hahn.

STEPHANIE WEISS Stephanie Weiss, mezzo-soprano, was a regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a regular guest at Deutsche Oper Berlin. She has also sung at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, , Oper Frankfurt, Konzerttheater Bern, Oper Dortmund, Oper Köln, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater, Oper Leipzig, Opera Orchestra of New York, and San Diego Opera. Her roles include Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Klementia (Sancta Susanna), Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Grimgerde (Die Walküre), Aksinja (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Marianne Leitmetzerin (Der Rosenkavalier), Giannetta (L’elisir d’amore), Aufseherin (Elektra), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Venus (Tannhäuser), and Johanna (Szenen aus dem Leben der Heiligen Johanna). Concert appearances include Strauss Vier Letzte Lieder, Mozart , Beethoven Symphony 9, , Mahler Symphony 4, and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Along with operatic and orchestral concert repertoire, Dr. Weiss is an avid performer of art song and new music. She has performed recitals in the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia, singing the music ofaward-winning American and German living composers. With her ‘duo au courant’ partner, pianist Christina Wright-Ivanova, she has sung the world premieres of several song cycles, including Jonathan Stark’s “Passageway”, and ’s “jaik’s songs” and “A Handful of Days.” In 2019, the duo released their debut CD of the songs of Daron Hagen, titled Sacred and Profane, on the Albany Records label. Currently Assistant Professor of Voice at Arizona State University, Dr. Weiss holds degrees from New England Conservatory (B.M. voice), Tufts University (B.S. biology and drama), University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.), Mannes College of Music (Prof. Studies Dipl.), and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (D.M.A.), where she was previously Assistant Professor of Voice. In the summer, she serves on the faculty of AIMS in Graz.

ANGELINA ZHANG Angelina Zhang is a 13-year-old freshman at Corona Del Sol High School. She has been studying piano with Hong Zhu since the age of four. Angelina was the Arizona State winner in the 2018-2019 MTNA Piano Competition and the alternate of the MTNA South West Division. Her other awards include 1st place in the 2018 Steinway/Avanti Future Stars Piano Competition, East Valley Music Teacher Association Piano Competition, and Desert Valley Music Teacher Association Piano Competition. Angelina made her concerto debut with the MusicaNova Orchestra in March 2019. During her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing badminton, and painting.

27 Thank You

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Office of the Dean, ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Steven J. Tepper, Dean

Communications Group ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Box Office Rebecca Mosqueda, Ticket Office Manager

ASU School of Music Heather Landes, Director Martin Schuring, Associate Director Andrew Campbell, Assistant Director Margaret Schmidt, Assistant Director Linda Bennett, Coordinator Sr. Lindsey Berry, Admissions Specialist Keith Cannon, Piano Technician Patrick Driscoll, Sound Recording & Classroom Equipment Specialist Rick Florence, Keyboard Technology and Event Services Manager Kimberly Fullerton, Office Specialist Adrienne Goglia, Business Operations Specialist Julie Krause, Coordinator Sr. Lynne MacDonald, Communications Specialist Catherine Martin, Coordinator Samuel Pena, Community Engagement Coordinator Lori Pollock, Business Operations Manager Sr. Michelle Sanborn, Front Office Specialist Nancy Sell, Office Supervisor

Festival Volunteers

Members of the School of Music Performance Events Staff

Festival Recording Staff

28 The Young Artist Committee and the School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University proudly present

The 10th Bösendorfer International Piano Competition { ages 19-32 }

The 10th Yamaha International Piano Competition for Young Pianists { Senior Competition: ages 16-18 } { Junior Competition: ages 13-15 }

January 2021 Arizona State University School of Music, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Dr. Baruch Meir President and Artistic Director pianocompetition.asu.edu

tenth Eighth Yamaha Eighth Eighth music.asu.edu

Inspiring and empowering students to become creative leaders who transform society through music.

Arizona State University’s School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is home to an internationally recognized faculty, outstanding performance facilities and innovative curricula in education, therapy, composition and performance. ASU’s School of Music is the perfect place for students to embrace their musical passions and launch a successful career. Piano • BM, MM and DMA degrees in Performance. • Undergraduate programs in music education, music therapy, theory and composition, and a BA in Music. • Graduate degrees focusing on specific performance skills and pedagogical techniques through experiential opportunities. • Collaborative piano degrees that refine pianistic skills and develop abilities as sensitive collaborators in vocal and instrumental music.

Faculty Breslin, Cathal piano Meir, Baruch piano, area coordinator Campbell, Andrew collaborative piano Pagano, Caio piano Creviston, Hannah Ryan, Russell collaborative piano Hamilton, Robert piano

Learn more! music.asu.edu/degree-programs/piano