Hung-Kuan Chen, piano

Presenting

HUNG -KUAN CHEN horowitz piano series

november 28, 2012 Morse Recital Hall 路 Wednesday at 8 pm 路 Music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms

Robert Blocker, Dean

hung - kua n ch en, p iano November 28, 2012 • Sprague Memorial Hall

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–1791

Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–1827

Rondo in A minor, K. 511

Sonata in C minor, Op. 111 I. Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato II. Arietta: Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile

intermission

Johannes Brahms 1833–1897

Sechs Klavierstücke, Op. 118 Intermezzo in A minor Intermezzo in A major Ballade in G minor Intermezzo in F minor Romanze in F major Intermezzo in E-flat minor

Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35

As a courtesy to the performers and audience, turn off cell phones and pagers. Please do not leave the hall during selections. Photography or recording of any kind is prohibited.

Horowitz Piano Series • Boris Berman, Artistic Director

About the Artist

and Shanghai. He has performed with such esteemed conductors as Hans Graf, Christoph Eschenbach, and Andrew Parrett, and with colleagues including Yo-Yo Ma, Cho-Liang Lin, and David Shifrin. Mr. Chen has served as chair of the piano department of the Shanghai Conservatory, and is the director of the International Piano Academy in Shanghai. He is a member of the piano faculty of the New England Conservatory, and a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music.

Hung-Kuan Chen is a pianist of uncompromising individuality and a remarkably inspiring pedagogue. Born in Taipei and raised in Germany, Mr. Chen balances strong roots in Germanic Classicism with the sensibility of Chinese philosophy. The result is a dynamic and imaginative artistry.

One of the most decorated pianists of his generation, Mr. Chen won top prizes in the Arthur Rubinstein, Busoni, and Géza Anda International Piano Competitions and is a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has collaborated with major orchestras including Houston, Baltimore, Israel, Montréal, the Tonhalle, San Francisco,

In 1992 Hung-Kuan Chen suffered an injury to his hand. Through meditation and his own research, he was able to heal and return to his life as a concert artist. His first postaccident solo recital in 1998 received rave reviews, and he was described as a transformed artist. In 2006, Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe wrote: “Hung-Kuan Chen is back in prime technical form after years of struggle following an injury, but those years have made him a different pianist, and a better one. This man plays music with uncommon understanding and the instrument with uncommon imagination.”

Upcoming Events

Yale Baroque Ensemble

New Music for Orchestra

november 30 Morse Recital Hall | Fri | 8 pm Ensemble and solo works by Castello, Corelli, Gabrieli, Merula, Scarlatti, and Vivaldi. Free Admission

december 6 Woolsey Hall | Thu | 8 pm New Music New Haven & Yale Philharmonia New music by graduate composers, conducted

by Shinik Hahm. Free Admission

Charles Neidich, clarinet & Robert Levin, piano

Jasper String Quartet

december 2 & 3 15 Hillhouse Ave. | Sun, 3 pm & Mon, 8 pm Collection of Musical Instruments Music of Schumann and Brahms, performed on historical instruments.

Tickets $20, Students $10

december 11 Morse Recital Hall | Tue | 8 pm Oneppo Chamber Music Series Quartets by Mendelssohn and Ligeti, plus Schumann’s Piano Quintet with pianist Wei-Yi Yang. Tickets $25–35, Students $15

Peter Frankl, piano Vista: A Fresh Look at Chamber Music december 5 Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Music by, Cras, Mozart, and Schumann illuminated by commentary on the repertoire.

Free Admission

december 12 Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Horowitz Piano Series Music of Schubert and Debussy, including Schubert’s “Arpeggione” Sonata with Ettore Causa, viola. Tickets $12–22, Students $6-9

Concert Programs & Box Office: Krista Johnson, Carol Jackson, Julie Blindauer Communications: Dana Astmann, Monica Ong Reed, Austin Kase Operations: Tara Deming, Chris Melillo Piano Curators: Brian Daley, William Harold Recording Studio: Eugene Kimball

P.O. Box 208246, New Haven, CT · 203 432-4158

Robert Blocker, Dean

music.yale.edu