Program
Masterclass
Franz Schubert: Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 3 in G-flat Major
Megan Liu, student of Zena Ilyashov
Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28
Asher Koh, student of Vera Parkin
Robert Schumann: Variations on the Name “Abegg”, Op. 1
Charis Shing, student of Annette Burkhart
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
Jerry Chang, student of Zena Ilyashov
Nancy Mayo, orchestral reduction
~~~ Intermission ~~~
Franz Schubert: Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 3 in G-flat Major
Megan Liu, student of Zena Ilyashov
Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28
Asher Koh, student of Vera Parkin
Robert Schumann: Variations on the Name “Abegg”, Op. 1
Charis Shing, student of Annette Burkhart
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
Jerry Chang, student of Zena Ilyashov
Nancy Mayo, orchestral reduction
~~~ Intermission ~~~
Meng-Chieh Liu Piano Recital
Franz Liszt: Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, S. 173, No. 3
J.S. Bach: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564
arr. Ferruccio Busoni
|
Date: February 23, 2024.
Time: 9:30 am (Masterclass) ; 11:45am (Recital) Location: Steinway Piano Gallery - St. Louis Address: 12033 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, MO 63043 Admission: Free |
Meng-Chieh Liu
A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Meng-Chieh Liu first made headlines in 1993 as a 21-year-old student at The Curtis Institute of Music when he substituted at last minute's notice for André Watts at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The concert earned high acclaim from critics and audience alike, and was followed by a number of widely praised performances, including a recital at the Kennedy Center and a concert on the Philadelphia All-Star Series. Already an accomplished artist at the time, Mr. Liu had made his New York orchestral debut two years earlier.
Following Mr. Liu's triumph in Philadelphia, an appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra was immediately scheduled, but it was not to be. The stellar beginning of his career was abruptly halted by a rare and debilitating illness that affected his connective tissues. Hospitalized and almost immobile for a year, doctors believed his chances for survival were slim and, should he survive, playing the piano would be "absolutely impossible." With arduous determination and relentless physical therapy, Mr. Liu has been restored to full health and is now once again performing on the concert stage. Since then, he has performed throughout the world in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras under conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Gustavo Dudamel and Alan Gilbert. In 2002, Liu received the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award. A sought-after musician and strong advocate of chamber music, Liu performs in music festivals across the globe and has worked with renowned musicians Shmuel Ashkenasi, David Soyer, Bernard Greenhouse, James Buswell, Wendy Warner, Kim Kashkashian, Donald Weilerstein as well as the Borromeo and St. Lawrence Quartets. Liu also collaborates with artists in varied disciplines, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project, among other dance companies. His concerts have been heard over the airwaves around the world, and a biography on his life was broadcast on Taiwanese National Television.
Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Meng-Chieh Liu began his piano studies early, and at age thirteen was accepted by The Curtis Institute of Music to study with Jorge Bolet, Claude Frank, Gary Graffman and Eleanor Sokoloff, and received first prizes in the Stravinsky, Asia Pacific and Mieczyslaw Munz piano competitions. His reputation as a teacher/mentor has brought him across the globe in summer festivals, masterclasses, and lecture recitals. Since 1993, Liu served on the piano and chamber music faculties at The Curtis Institute of Music, and since 2013 added the New England Conservatory to his itinerary. He is in high demand as a mentor, sought out by young pianists the world over. Recently his students have been finalists of major competitions, including Aimi Kobayshi in Chopin Competition, and Tianxu An in the Tchaikovsky Competition.
He served as a faculty member of Roosevelt University in Chicago from 2006-2014. During this time Liu joined Chicago Chamber Musicians and served as Artistic Director of the ensemble from 2011-2014. While artistic director, he championed the works and worked closely with many composers including John Corigliano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gabriella Lena Frank, Steven Mackey, Paquito D’Rivera, and Lowell Liebermann. Liu is known for his versatility, performing music from Scarlatti and Bach to Szymanowski, Messiaen and composers of our times, including Zhou Tian and David Ludwig. In recent years, he embarked on several immersive projects, performing the complete piano music by Johannes Brahms and complete piano sonatas by Franz Schubert.
In 2011, Liu experienced another medical setback requiring open heart surgery. Once again the predictions of medical doctors were grim. He pursued many courses of treatment both modern and traditional. Despite the debilitating effects, he still managed to keep up his concert activities and wouldn’t reduce his artistic output. Liu has taken on new challenges, both in recital and in concerto programs and has focused his energy more and more on making recordings. His most recent album of Chopin’s complete nocturnes has been released on Decca in January 2023.
A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Meng-Chieh Liu first made headlines in 1993 as a 21-year-old student at The Curtis Institute of Music when he substituted at last minute's notice for André Watts at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The concert earned high acclaim from critics and audience alike, and was followed by a number of widely praised performances, including a recital at the Kennedy Center and a concert on the Philadelphia All-Star Series. Already an accomplished artist at the time, Mr. Liu had made his New York orchestral debut two years earlier.
Following Mr. Liu's triumph in Philadelphia, an appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra was immediately scheduled, but it was not to be. The stellar beginning of his career was abruptly halted by a rare and debilitating illness that affected his connective tissues. Hospitalized and almost immobile for a year, doctors believed his chances for survival were slim and, should he survive, playing the piano would be "absolutely impossible." With arduous determination and relentless physical therapy, Mr. Liu has been restored to full health and is now once again performing on the concert stage. Since then, he has performed throughout the world in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras under conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Gustavo Dudamel and Alan Gilbert. In 2002, Liu received the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award. A sought-after musician and strong advocate of chamber music, Liu performs in music festivals across the globe and has worked with renowned musicians Shmuel Ashkenasi, David Soyer, Bernard Greenhouse, James Buswell, Wendy Warner, Kim Kashkashian, Donald Weilerstein as well as the Borromeo and St. Lawrence Quartets. Liu also collaborates with artists in varied disciplines, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project, among other dance companies. His concerts have been heard over the airwaves around the world, and a biography on his life was broadcast on Taiwanese National Television.
Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Meng-Chieh Liu began his piano studies early, and at age thirteen was accepted by The Curtis Institute of Music to study with Jorge Bolet, Claude Frank, Gary Graffman and Eleanor Sokoloff, and received first prizes in the Stravinsky, Asia Pacific and Mieczyslaw Munz piano competitions. His reputation as a teacher/mentor has brought him across the globe in summer festivals, masterclasses, and lecture recitals. Since 1993, Liu served on the piano and chamber music faculties at The Curtis Institute of Music, and since 2013 added the New England Conservatory to his itinerary. He is in high demand as a mentor, sought out by young pianists the world over. Recently his students have been finalists of major competitions, including Aimi Kobayshi in Chopin Competition, and Tianxu An in the Tchaikovsky Competition.
He served as a faculty member of Roosevelt University in Chicago from 2006-2014. During this time Liu joined Chicago Chamber Musicians and served as Artistic Director of the ensemble from 2011-2014. While artistic director, he championed the works and worked closely with many composers including John Corigliano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gabriella Lena Frank, Steven Mackey, Paquito D’Rivera, and Lowell Liebermann. Liu is known for his versatility, performing music from Scarlatti and Bach to Szymanowski, Messiaen and composers of our times, including Zhou Tian and David Ludwig. In recent years, he embarked on several immersive projects, performing the complete piano music by Johannes Brahms and complete piano sonatas by Franz Schubert.
In 2011, Liu experienced another medical setback requiring open heart surgery. Once again the predictions of medical doctors were grim. He pursued many courses of treatment both modern and traditional. Despite the debilitating effects, he still managed to keep up his concert activities and wouldn’t reduce his artistic output. Liu has taken on new challenges, both in recital and in concerto programs and has focused his energy more and more on making recordings. His most recent album of Chopin’s complete nocturnes has been released on Decca in January 2023.
鋼琴家－劉孟捷
1993年以柯蒂斯音樂學院學生之姿，代替鋼琴大師安德烈．瓦茲（André Watts）於費城音樂廳演出。精彩又完美的演出，讓劉孟捷首度登上費城當地的新聞頭條，贏得許多高度的讚賞。成功演出之後，一場場大型的音樂會邀約接踵而來，包括華盛頓甘迺迪中心的演出、費城的巨星系列音樂會，以及與費城交響樂團合作演出。蓄勢待發的劉孟捷，其實早已是一位有許多演出經驗與磨練的鋼琴家，早在1987年即已登上紐約卡內基音樂廳的舞台；1991年受邀與紐約少年交響樂團同台演出。
劉孟捷出生於台灣高雄，曾就讀於高雄鹽埕國小及台北師大附中國中部音樂班，師事李金里老師及宋允鵬教授，另師事陳秋盛老師學習小提琴與指揮。從國小開始參加比賽即獲得佳績，13歲獲台灣區音樂比賽鋼琴少年組第一名，14歲獲得亞太少年鋼琴大賽冠軍，立刻受到台灣及國際樂壇的矚目。劉孟捷隨即負笈柯蒂斯音樂學院，跟隨Jorge Bolet、Claude Frank、Gary Graffman及Eleanor Sokoloff等大師學習。16歲時榮獲米耶克茲洛孟茲鋼琴比賽（Mieczyslaw Munz Competition）以及史特拉汶斯基分齡國際大賽（Stravinsky Competition）首獎。
劉孟捷的演奏事業正值蒸蒸日上時，卻被一場突如其來的罕見疾病中斷，亢奮的免疫系統侵蝕了他全身的肌肉、皮膚、關節和心臟等組織。在住院一年多期間，歷經癱瘓、全身無法動彈等狀況的劉孟捷，也讓醫生一度認為他活下來的機會微乎其微，即使能僥倖存活，也不可能繼續他的鋼琴演奏生涯。但劉孟捷憑著堅毅的決心與嚴酷的物理治療，通過重重考驗，奇蹟似的恢復健康，並繼續活耀在他的演奏舞台上。這一段浴火重生的慘痛歷程，非但沒有擊垮他，反而讓他深悟音樂的精髓，使他的音樂境界更上一層樓！浴火重生之後，劉孟捷以獨奏家的姿態重返舞台，除舉辦個人鋼琴獨奏會外，也與許多知名指揮和樂團交流，合作對象包含：克里斯托夫．艾森巴赫 (Christoph Eschenbach)、古斯塔夫．杜達美 (Gustavo Dudamel)、艾倫．吉伯特 (Alan Gilbert) 等大師。
2002年，劉孟捷獲頒艾維理費雪職業大賞(Avery Fisher Career Grant)及費城音樂基金會職業成就獎(Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award)，再度肯定他對音樂的執著與專業水準。劉孟捷的演奏事業相當活躍，除在美國各大城市演出之外，更遍佈台灣、香港、日本、韓國、中國、英國、法國、西班牙、保加利亞、委內瑞拉、紐西蘭、澳大利亞等地。此外，劉孟捷亦十分熱衷室內樂演出，與北美、歐洲、澳洲和亞洲許多音樂家多有合作，其中包含知名華人音樂家，如余隆、張國勇、黃屹、寧峰、李心草、林大葉、水藍、林昭亮等大師合作演出。
劉孟捷時常受邀參與世界各地的音樂節，並與各國知名音樂家與室內樂團合作演出，如：小提琴家－阿胥肯納吉 (Shmuel Ashkenasi)、詹姆士．巴士威爾 (James Buswell)、溫迪．華納 (Wendy Warner)、大提琴家－大衛．索耶 (David Soyer)、伯納德．格林豪斯 (Bernard Greenhouse)，以及巴洛米歐 (Borromeo String Quartet)和聖勞倫斯 (St. Lawrence String Quartet)弦樂四重奏。2009年加入芝加哥獨奏家樂集 (Chicago Chamber Musicians)，並且從2011-2014年擔任音樂總監。在這個歷時二十多年的室內樂團，劉孟捷與許多經驗豐富的室內樂演奏家，包括芝加哥交響樂團的資深元老(Larry Combs, Gail Williams, Charles Geyer)，每年有三十餘場的演出與合作。除了與音樂相關的演出之外，劉孟捷也曾與舞蹈巨星－米夏．巴瑞希尼可夫 (Mikhail Baryshnikov) 和白橡木舞蹈計劃(White Oak Dance Project)等，積極參與跨領 演藝術演出。劉孟捷的現場音樂會，時常被電台頻道轉播；台灣的電視台也曾將劉孟捷人生故事作成特輯播出。
近年來，劉孟捷在演奏事業上，設立了許多新的目標，期許自己能為莘莘學子與觀眾們留下一些紀錄與想法。除了曾完整演出舒伯特鋼琴奏鳴曲外，也演出布拉姆斯全系列鋼琴獨奏作品；2014年一月時也和臺北市立交響樂團錄製了貝多芬第四號與第五號鋼琴協奏曲，於台灣發行。2021年劉孟捷有機會回到台灣與國家交響樂團(NSO)合作演出；並於高雄衛武營舉行"巡禮之年"獨奏會。在2022年由Decca發行劉孟捷–蕭邦：夜曲全輯，此專輯於2023年榮獲台灣傳藝金曲獎最佳演奏獎獎項。
劉孟捷的才能與對音樂的熱情不僅展現在他豐富的演奏當中，並延伸於教學裡。1993年，剛畢業於柯蒂斯音樂院的劉孟捷，以年僅21歲的年紀，獲聘為該院的教師。這不僅使他成為該院最年輕的教授，也是柯蒂斯音樂院創校以來第一位亞裔的鋼琴教授。劉孟捷在教學中不僅秉承對原作的尊重，同時擅於激發學生的想像力並帶給新的音樂動力。對於鋼琴的演奏技巧，他注重身體與指尖的結合及重量的運用，更強調指尖與琴鍵的關係。他在教學中也非常重視學生的合作能力。除了幫助學生累積獨奏曲目外，他十分鼓勵學生與其它不同樂器演奏者及聲樂家合作，參與多種形式的室內樂演奏。在柯蒂斯音樂院任教期間，他以身作則，不斷拓展涉足現代派曲目的領域，同時也帶領學生一同嘗試對新曲目的研究。在他擔任學校鋼琴系教研部主任時，他開創現代鋼琴音樂欣賞課程，邀請多位著名現代音樂作曲大師親臨講解。這為學生們創造了最直接的平台。近年來，劉孟捷的學生在世界重大的鋼琴比賽中都獲得相當好的成績，如2020年柴可夫斯基鋼琴大賽第四名的安天旭，及2021年蕭邦鋼琴大賽第四名的小林愛實(Aimi Kobayashi)。
劉孟捷的教學深獲學生們的推崇和肯定，除了在柯蒂斯任教外，從2006-2014年也受邀至芝加哥羅斯福大學（Roosevelt University) 擔任鋼琴教授。2014年秋天加入新英格蘭音樂學院 (New England Conservatory)的師資陣容。另外於2014-2019的六個夏天還被著名的坦格伍德音樂中心(Tanglewood Music Center)聘請指導。
1993年以柯蒂斯音樂學院學生之姿，代替鋼琴大師安德烈．瓦茲（André Watts）於費城音樂廳演出。精彩又完美的演出，讓劉孟捷首度登上費城當地的新聞頭條，贏得許多高度的讚賞。成功演出之後，一場場大型的音樂會邀約接踵而來，包括華盛頓甘迺迪中心的演出、費城的巨星系列音樂會，以及與費城交響樂團合作演出。蓄勢待發的劉孟捷，其實早已是一位有許多演出經驗與磨練的鋼琴家，早在1987年即已登上紐約卡內基音樂廳的舞台；1991年受邀與紐約少年交響樂團同台演出。
劉孟捷出生於台灣高雄，曾就讀於高雄鹽埕國小及台北師大附中國中部音樂班，師事李金里老師及宋允鵬教授，另師事陳秋盛老師學習小提琴與指揮。從國小開始參加比賽即獲得佳績，13歲獲台灣區音樂比賽鋼琴少年組第一名，14歲獲得亞太少年鋼琴大賽冠軍，立刻受到台灣及國際樂壇的矚目。劉孟捷隨即負笈柯蒂斯音樂學院，跟隨Jorge Bolet、Claude Frank、Gary Graffman及Eleanor Sokoloff等大師學習。16歲時榮獲米耶克茲洛孟茲鋼琴比賽（Mieczyslaw Munz Competition）以及史特拉汶斯基分齡國際大賽（Stravinsky Competition）首獎。
劉孟捷的演奏事業正值蒸蒸日上時，卻被一場突如其來的罕見疾病中斷，亢奮的免疫系統侵蝕了他全身的肌肉、皮膚、關節和心臟等組織。在住院一年多期間，歷經癱瘓、全身無法動彈等狀況的劉孟捷，也讓醫生一度認為他活下來的機會微乎其微，即使能僥倖存活，也不可能繼續他的鋼琴演奏生涯。但劉孟捷憑著堅毅的決心與嚴酷的物理治療，通過重重考驗，奇蹟似的恢復健康，並繼續活耀在他的演奏舞台上。這一段浴火重生的慘痛歷程，非但沒有擊垮他，反而讓他深悟音樂的精髓，使他的音樂境界更上一層樓！浴火重生之後，劉孟捷以獨奏家的姿態重返舞台，除舉辦個人鋼琴獨奏會外，也與許多知名指揮和樂團交流，合作對象包含：克里斯托夫．艾森巴赫 (Christoph Eschenbach)、古斯塔夫．杜達美 (Gustavo Dudamel)、艾倫．吉伯特 (Alan Gilbert) 等大師。
2002年，劉孟捷獲頒艾維理費雪職業大賞(Avery Fisher Career Grant)及費城音樂基金會職業成就獎(Philadelphia Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award)，再度肯定他對音樂的執著與專業水準。劉孟捷的演奏事業相當活躍，除在美國各大城市演出之外，更遍佈台灣、香港、日本、韓國、中國、英國、法國、西班牙、保加利亞、委內瑞拉、紐西蘭、澳大利亞等地。此外，劉孟捷亦十分熱衷室內樂演出，與北美、歐洲、澳洲和亞洲許多音樂家多有合作，其中包含知名華人音樂家，如余隆、張國勇、黃屹、寧峰、李心草、林大葉、水藍、林昭亮等大師合作演出。
劉孟捷時常受邀參與世界各地的音樂節，並與各國知名音樂家與室內樂團合作演出，如：小提琴家－阿胥肯納吉 (Shmuel Ashkenasi)、詹姆士．巴士威爾 (James Buswell)、溫迪．華納 (Wendy Warner)、大提琴家－大衛．索耶 (David Soyer)、伯納德．格林豪斯 (Bernard Greenhouse)，以及巴洛米歐 (Borromeo String Quartet)和聖勞倫斯 (St. Lawrence String Quartet)弦樂四重奏。2009年加入芝加哥獨奏家樂集 (Chicago Chamber Musicians)，並且從2011-2014年擔任音樂總監。在這個歷時二十多年的室內樂團，劉孟捷與許多經驗豐富的室內樂演奏家，包括芝加哥交響樂團的資深元老(Larry Combs, Gail Williams, Charles Geyer)，每年有三十餘場的演出與合作。除了與音樂相關的演出之外，劉孟捷也曾與舞蹈巨星－米夏．巴瑞希尼可夫 (Mikhail Baryshnikov) 和白橡木舞蹈計劃(White Oak Dance Project)等，積極參與跨領 演藝術演出。劉孟捷的現場音樂會，時常被電台頻道轉播；台灣的電視台也曾將劉孟捷人生故事作成特輯播出。
近年來，劉孟捷在演奏事業上，設立了許多新的目標，期許自己能為莘莘學子與觀眾們留下一些紀錄與想法。除了曾完整演出舒伯特鋼琴奏鳴曲外，也演出布拉姆斯全系列鋼琴獨奏作品；2014年一月時也和臺北市立交響樂團錄製了貝多芬第四號與第五號鋼琴協奏曲，於台灣發行。2021年劉孟捷有機會回到台灣與國家交響樂團(NSO)合作演出；並於高雄衛武營舉行"巡禮之年"獨奏會。在2022年由Decca發行劉孟捷–蕭邦：夜曲全輯，此專輯於2023年榮獲台灣傳藝金曲獎最佳演奏獎獎項。
劉孟捷的才能與對音樂的熱情不僅展現在他豐富的演奏當中，並延伸於教學裡。1993年，剛畢業於柯蒂斯音樂院的劉孟捷，以年僅21歲的年紀，獲聘為該院的教師。這不僅使他成為該院最年輕的教授，也是柯蒂斯音樂院創校以來第一位亞裔的鋼琴教授。劉孟捷在教學中不僅秉承對原作的尊重，同時擅於激發學生的想像力並帶給新的音樂動力。對於鋼琴的演奏技巧，他注重身體與指尖的結合及重量的運用，更強調指尖與琴鍵的關係。他在教學中也非常重視學生的合作能力。除了幫助學生累積獨奏曲目外，他十分鼓勵學生與其它不同樂器演奏者及聲樂家合作，參與多種形式的室內樂演奏。在柯蒂斯音樂院任教期間，他以身作則，不斷拓展涉足現代派曲目的領域，同時也帶領學生一同嘗試對新曲目的研究。在他擔任學校鋼琴系教研部主任時，他開創現代鋼琴音樂欣賞課程，邀請多位著名現代音樂作曲大師親臨講解。這為學生們創造了最直接的平台。近年來，劉孟捷的學生在世界重大的鋼琴比賽中都獲得相當好的成績，如2020年柴可夫斯基鋼琴大賽第四名的安天旭，及2021年蕭邦鋼琴大賽第四名的小林愛實(Aimi Kobayashi)。
劉孟捷的教學深獲學生們的推崇和肯定，除了在柯蒂斯任教外，從2006-2014年也受邀至芝加哥羅斯福大學（Roosevelt University) 擔任鋼琴教授。2014年秋天加入新英格蘭音樂學院 (New England Conservatory)的師資陣容。另外於2014-2019的六個夏天還被著名的坦格伍德音樂中心(Tanglewood Music Center)聘請指導。