The Richmond Symphony Presents GRIEG: PIANO CONCERTO, 2/1

By: Jan. 09, 2014
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Join the Richmond Symphony on February 1st - 8pm at the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage for Grieg: Piano Concerto-a concert with three works connected by the theme of inspiration!

Award-winning guest Conductor Mei-Ann Chen, 2012 recipient of the prestigious Helen M. Thompson Award, will lead the Richmond Symphony during this one-night-only concert. As one of America's most dynamic conductors, Mei-Ann Chen is known for infusing orchestras with energy and enthusiasm! She has been Music Director of the Memphis Symphony since 2010 and of the Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011

Acclaimed pianist George Li will also be joining the Richmond Symphony as a guest. Born in August 1995, George Li's first public performance was at the age of 10 at Boston Steinway Hall. Since then, he has gained significant attention as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist. Some of his achievements include receiving a full scholarship to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and playing at New York's Carnegie Hall in the new TV series From the Top.

Come and be inspired!

Tickets start at just $10 online at richmondsymphony.com or 1.800.514 ETIX. $7 college student tickets available at the Richmond CenterStage box office with valid student ID. Altria Masterworks concerts are FREE for children 18 and under with a paid adult (ticket required.)

Enjoy 10% off at 525 at the Berry Burk or Bistro 27 with your ticket stub.

This concert is sponsored by Altria (series sponsor), Brick Street Insurance (guest artist sponsor), and the Richmond Times Dispatch (media sponsor).

About the Richmond Symphony

Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 200 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 250,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts, and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Mei-Ann Chen

An innovative and passionate force both on and off the conductor's podium, Mei-Ann Chen is one of America's most dynamic young conductors. Music Director of the Memphis Symphony since 2010 and of the Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011, she has infused both orchestras with energy, enthusiasm, and high-level music-making, galvanizing their audiences and communities alike. In recognition of these accomplishments, the League of American Orchestras granted her the prestigious Helen M. Thompson Award at its 2012 national conference in Dallas. A sought- after guest conductor, Ms. Chen's reputation as a compelling communicator has resulted in growing popularity with orchestras both nationally and internationally.

In addition to the 2012 Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras, Mei-Ann Chen's skill on the podium and as a music educator has been recognized with several honors, awards and posts. In 2005 Ms. Chen became the first woman to win Copenhagen's esteemed Malko Competition. She served as Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony and Baltimore Symphony, under the aegis of the League of American Orchestras, and with the Oregon symphony as well. Recipient of the 2007 Taki Concordia Fellowship, she has appeared jointly with Marin Alsop and Stefan Sanderling in highly acclaimed subscription concerts with the Baltimore Symphony, Colorado Symphony, and Florida Orchestra. In 2002, Ms. Chen was unanimously selected as Music Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic in Oregon, the oldest of its kind and a model for many youth orchestras in the United States. During her five- year tenure with the orchestra, she led its sold-out debut in Carnegie Hall, received an ASCAP award for innovative programming, and developed new and unique musicianship programs for the orchestra's members. She was also the recipient of a Sunburst Award from Young Audiences for her contribution to music education.

Born in Taiwan, Mei-Ann Chen has lived in the United States since 1989. She was the first student in New England Conservatory's history to receive master's degrees simultaneously, in both violin and conducting, later studying with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting. Ms. Chen also participated in

the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C. and at the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen.

About George Li

2010 was a Milestone Year for pianist George Li. In July, George performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Cleveland Orchestra and won first prize in the Cooper International Piano Competition 2010; the prize package includes a full, four-year scholarship to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and concerto performances in Beijing and Shanghai, China. In November, George won first prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, awarding him debut recital opportunities in New York, Washington D.C., and Boston.

Born in August 1995, George Li (???) is a 10th grade student at the Walnut Hill School and the New England Conservatory (NEC) Preparatory School, where he studies piano with Ms. Wha Kyung Byun (???). George's previous piano teachers include Mrs. Dorothy Shi (???) and Mr. Yin Chengzong (???).

Since his first public performance at Boston Steinway Hall at the age of ten, George has gained significant attention as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra. George has appeared at the opening ceremony of Boston's new Institute of Contemporary Art, at the inauguration of President Tony Woodcock at New England Conservatory, solo recital at Boston's Steinway Hall, and performed with the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. He also played at New York's Carnegie Hall in new TV series produced by the popular NPR radio show, From the Top. In addition, he has been featured on WBZ-TV's Liz Walker Show and ABC's Martha Stewart Show. George was presented by the Hilton Head International Piano Competition and by the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition to perform solo recitals. He has been invited to perform in the "Prodigies & Masters of Tomorrow" event of the Discovery Series organized by the Miami International Piano Festival.

As an active chamber musician, George is the pianist of New England Conservatory's Vivace Trio. The Trio has performed on From the Top's radio series, at the NEC's annual gala, Feast of Music. The ensemble also performed for members of US Congress at Senate Office Building, Washington D.C., as well as for NPR at WGBH.

George has performed Haydn's Concerto No. 11, Beethoven's Concerto No. 1, Saint Saens' Concerto No. 2, Mendelssohn's Concerto No. 1, Mozart's Concerto No. 21, Schumann's Concerto and Chopin's Concerto No. 1 with symphony orchestras. These orchestras include the Cleveland Orchestra (Jahja Ling conductor); Xiamen Philharmonic (China; Tao Lin conductor); Symphony Pro Musica (Mark Churchill conductor); Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Venezuela; Sarah Ioannides conductor); Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (Benjamin Zander conductor); Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra (Arkady Leytush conductor); Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Sarah Ioannides conductor); Miami Symphony Orchestra (Eduardo

Marturet conductor); Waltham Symphony Orchestra (Patrick Botti conductor); Nordic Chamber Orchestra Sweden (Christian Lindberg conductor); Princeton Symphony Orchestra (Benjamin Zander conductor); Albany Symphony Orchestra (David Alan Miller conductor); Lexington Symphony Orchestra (Jonathan McPhee); and Orchestra "I Solisti di Perugia" (Spoleto, Italy). George has been invited to perform Rachmaninoff Concerto #2 with Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra (Arkady Leytush conductor) in May, 2011. Please see his CALENDAR for more information.

George won first prizes in MMTA piano competition at the age of 6 and 7. George won second prizes in both the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition and the World Piano Competition at the age of nine. In 2008, George won the second prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Junior Artist Competition. In 2010, George won the first prize in the Cooper International Piano Competition in July; George also won the first prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in November.



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