ARTISTS

Halekulani MasterWorks: “World’s Greatest Piano Concertos”
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
Jie Chen, piano
Joyce Yang, piano
Peng-Peng, piano

CONCERTS

Saturday, October 18 at 8 pm & Sunday, October 19 at 4 pm
These concerts take place at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
               

PROGRAM

LISZT: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E-Flat
GRIEG: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 16
RACHMANINOFF: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
 

TICKETS

$19, $26, $40, $52, $70 (including service fees)
Military and seniors receive a 20% discount.
Student/youth & chaperone/parent tickets are always $10.
Groups of 10 people or more are eligible for $10 flat rate tickets.
Tickets are sold at Ticketmaster outlets (1-877-750-4400), Macy’s, Times supermarkets and www.ticketmaster.com
Call the Box Office at (808) 792-2000 (weekdays) or (808) 524-0815 ext. 245 (evenings) for more information.
E-mail: boxofficemngr@honolulusymphony.com
www.honolulusymphony.com
 
 
Honolulu – The exhilarating opportunity to experience three great piano concertos performed back-to-back – all in one evening by three young virtuosos – is coming to the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Saturday, October 18 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 19 at 4 p.m. as the Honolulu Symphony presents “World’s Greatest Piano Concertos.” This auditory feast shines the spotlight on the technical wizardry of pianists Joyce Yang, Jie Chen and Peng Peng as each make their respective Honolulu Symphony debuts.

Conductor and rising star Mei-Ann Chen leads the orchestra in this show-stopping concerto extravaganza that promises to cement Honolulu’s love affair with piano masterpieces. Tickets start from only $19. Student/youth & chaperone/parent tickets are always $10. Mahalo to Commercial Data Systems for their generous sponsorship that has made this event possible.
 
The evening begins with 15-year-old pianist and composer Peng, who will perform Liszt’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E-Flat. Liszt’s evocative First Piano Concerto is dazzling in its technical demands, while the beautifully textured passages and powerful crescendos will call for Peng to “pull out all the stops” with this favorite work of the repertoire. Audiences can anticipate flashes of verve and exquisiteness throughout as they eagerly await the Concerto’s trademark bell sounds of the triangle.

Following intermission, 22-year-old Yang will grace the stage to perform Grieg’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 16. The Norwegian composer Grieg aspired to infuse his compositions with the spirit, culture and nature of his homeland. His sole Piano Concerto has the power to transport the listener with melodic beauty and picturesque inspiration to faraway lands. It will come as no surprise to Honolulu audiences that this Concerto is one of the most popular works in the repertoire.
 
The concerto extravaganza concludes with Jie Chen, who has chosen to interpret Rachmaninoff’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2. The Concerto – with its divinely wonderful second movement – is everything a piano concerto should be. Emblematic of Russian romanticism, the Second Piano Concerto displays the sumptuous harmonies and lyricism that are the hallmarks of Rachmaninoff’s music. It is the perfect finale for this charming evening of piano masterworks.
 
About Mei-Ann Chen
Mei-Ann Chen has attracted much attention as a young conductor on a rapid rise since 2005, after she became the first woman to win the prestigious International Nicolai Malko Competition for Conductors in its 40-year history. Soon after, an international career was launched through impressive debuts with professional orchestras throughout Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and America. Chen holds the position of assistant conductor and American Conducting Fellow with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and was recently named the Winner of the 2007 Taki Concordia Fellowship. 
 
During her five years as conductor and music director of the Portland Youth
Philharmonic from 2002 to 2007, Chen conducted the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and participated in programs for promising young conductors sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League, the National Conducting Institute and the Aspen Music Festival. She is the first person in New England Conservatory history to receive a double master’s degree in conducting and violin simultaneously. A native of Taiwan, Chen’s musical talent was discovered by conductor Benjamin Zander and Dean of Preparatory Mark Churchill during a New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra tour in Asia.

About Jie Chen
In 2006, Jie Chen won the first Villa-Lobos International Piano Competition’s Silver Medal, adding to her list of prestigious prizes, including the Second International Piano- e-Competition, the Washington International and the Missouri Southern International competitions, and top prizes at the Arthur Rubinstein and Santander Paloma O’Shea International competitions. 
 
Jie Chen has appeared in concerts and recitals to rave reviews, including her major orchestral debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Wolfgang Sawallisch. She started playing the piano at age four and was accepted into the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory at age eight. Jie Chen was born in Guang Dong, China and lives in the United States where she studies at the Mannes College of Music.
 
About Joyce Yang
The recipient of the 2005 silver medal at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Joyce Yang – at age nineteen – was also the youngest of the Cliburn Competition’s participants. She was the recipient of both the Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performance of Chamber Music, as well as the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work. 
 
The dream continued in summer 2006 as Yang appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center, the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, the Aspen Symphony, and opened the season of the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. In November 2006, Joyce Yang made her New York Philharmonic debut with Lorin Maazel in Avery Fisher Hall, preceded by concerts with them in Korea. She continues to tour the world and perform with acclaimed orchestras across the United States. She currently resides in New York City where she attends the Juilliard School. Yang was born in Seoul, Korea.
 
About Peng Peng
Peng Peng, who was born in China, began piano lessons at the age of five and gave his first public recital in Nanjing at the age of eight. He attends the Professional Children’s School in New York and is in the tenth grade. Notable career highlights include his appearance on NPR’s “From the Top” and debuts at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall with Itzhak Perlman conducting the  Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Festival Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin and a European debut at Musée du Louvre. 
 
Peng was also on the spring 2006 national TV broadcast of PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center” as part of Julliard’s “Celebrating 100 Years Gala” in which he performed a movement of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with conductor John Williams. As an avid composer, Peng also studies composition at Juilliard. He has written numerous works for piano, chamber ensembles and orchestras. 

FOUR WAYS TO SAVE ON TICKETS TODAY!

 
Become a subscriber for only $99!
Halekūlani MasterWorks Trio Subscriptions are only $99 and Toyota Pops Trio
Subscriptions are only $129 for three concerts. Trios feature premium seating in the very best sections. Trio Subscriptions offer a 33% discount off the cost of single tickets and are an excellent fit for budget-savvy Symphony supporters. Trios are perfect for date nights and birthday gifts. 
 
Student/Youth Tickets are always $10
Do you attend middle school, high school or college? Do you have students in your family? Your Symphony tickets are only $10! 
Parents and chaperones: when you buy a ticket for a student, you are eligible to purchase up to two tickets at the same $10 rate for your personal use. 
This program is designed to make it possible for more students and families to share the educational music-making experience of Symphony concerts together. 
 
Seniors and Military receive 20% off
Seniors, military and military families, including Reservists, Department of Defense Civilians, National Guard, Coast Guard and Retirees, receive a 20 percent discount off the cost of single tickets – each and every day!
 
Group Tickets – Only $10 each!
The group sales program offers premium seating and discounted rate of only $10 per ticket for groups of 10 or more. It’s a potential savings of up to 50 percent. The program is ideal for schools and seniors communities, and simplifies the process for the group organizer. Please note: exceptions apply.