Acclaimed local pianist Cheng Wai will play a variety of compositions for a recital in December.
"Piano Recital by Cheng Wai" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) as part of its "City Hall Virtuosi" Series.
The programme will include Wu Zuqiang and Du Mingxin's "The Mermaid Suite for Piano" which consists of "Dance of Coral", "Dance of Ginseng", "Dance of Waterweed" and "Wedding Dance"; Ye Xiaogang's "Namucuo", Doming Lam's "Flowery Moon Light of Spring River", Zhou Long's "Wu Kui", Chen Peixun's "Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake", Zhang Zhao's "Pi Huang", Liszt's Three Concert Études, S. 144, No. 3 "Un Sospiro" and "Sonata in B minor, S. 178".
Cheng Wai, who has been described by one critic as a "piano poetess", received one of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons awards in 2009. Having graduated early from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States, she obtained her master's degree at Yale University, and then finished with a doctoral degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her principal teachers included Ling Yuan, Gabriel Kwok, John Winther, Seymour Lipkin, Gary Graffman, Claude Frank and Gilbert Kalish.
Cheng has performed around the world, including the concert halls of the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the National Centre for Performing Arts, Beijing Concert Hall, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Harbin Grand Theatre, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and more. One of Hong Kong's most versatile and renowned pianists, Cheng is active both as soloist and chamber musician. She has appeared with numerous orchestras, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Cheng has also performed under the baton of Gustav Meier, Lawrence Smith, Samuel Wong, Yip Wing-sie, Zheng Xiaoying, Mak Ka-lok, Hu Yongyan, Yan Huichang and more.
Cheng is the chairlady of the Central Conservatory of Music (Hong Kong) Foundation, and teaches at the HKAPA, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In addition, she is a frequent adjudicator of numerous local and international competitions. She recently finished her 2017 "Dessiner la Musique, Cheng Wai Piano Recital China Tour" of 15 cities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region's establishment.
"City Hall Virtuosi Series – Piano Recital by Cheng Wai" will be staged at 8pm on December 28 (Friday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $150 and $200 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_555.html.
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