New Piano Collective – August 14, 2016

New Piano Collective
Black and White Magic – New Piano Collective Inaugural Concert II

Jeffrey LaDeur, Founder & Artistic Director; Paul Sanchez, Jiyang Chen, Jeffrey LaDeur, Igor Lipinski, piano

Franz Liszt Ballade No. 2 in B minor
Frederico Mompou Cants Magics
Jean-Philippe Rameau Tristes Apprets from Castor et Pollux
Claude Debussy Images, Book I
Transcriptions of works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Mompou by Jiyang Chen
Igor Lipinski Piano Illusions

Tonight’s concert introduces the remaining artists of New Piano Collective in a program full of magic. As the only American concert pianist to earn a Master of Spanish Music degree under the legendary Alicia de Larrocha, Dr. Paul Sánchez’ specialization in Spanish music has made him one of the foremost exponents in the field. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Dakota Sky International Piano Festival and Young Artists Program, and was recently appointed to the faculty at the College of Charleston where he will serve as Director of Keyboard Studies and Artistic Director of the International Piano Series. Concert pianist Jiyang Chen has entranced audiences throughout the country with his luminous pianism and virtuosity. He is sensitive to the spectrum of emotional depth that can be found within the performance of a piece of music, a way of painting with sound on the blank canvas of silence. Jiyang is also active as a professional photographer, and his singular vision as photographer captures the broad palette and nuanced brush strokes of his subjects’ stories and emotions. Founder and Director of the New Piano Collective, Jeffrey LaDeur has given acclaimed performances around the world and maintains a repertoire of over 40 concerti. A passionate chamber musician, LaDeur is a founding member of the renowned Delphi Trio. Next season, Jeffrey will draw on his love of and experience with French music to offer Reflections in the Water, the complete solo piano music of Claude Debussy in the context of the composer’s inspirations and influences. Always passionate about introducing classical music to new audiences, Igor Lipinski developed Piano Illusions, a unique concert program that synthesizes the classical piano recital with a stunning magic show. This new hybrid recital provides a balance between popular entertainment and teaching the public about classical music. Combining two art forms and juxtaposing their striking differences creates an immersive, memorable, and interactive concert experience while attracting new generation of audiences to classical music.