CHAPEL HILL, NC — Posted Jan. 18, 2010
The "Yellow River Concerto" with pianist Alice Tien will be featured in the Sunday, February 14, Chapel Hill Philharmonia concert. The internationally-known work by Xian Xinghai, rarely performed in the United States, dramatically depicts life and struggle along the famed Yellow River, the heart of Chinese civilization and a symbol of the spirit of its people. The concerto integrates Chinese folksongs into Western classical music form, creating a work beloved by one-fifth of the world's population.
Soloist Alice Tien majored in piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, earning special recognition in collaborative-playing. She studied at Interlochen and the Aspen School of Music and has played in master classes with Menahem Pressler, Yo-Yo Ma, and James Galway. She performs regularly in the Triangle and has been an instructor and pianist at NCCU and UNC-CH.
The Chapel Hill Philharmonia's program, "From Folksong to the Concert Hall", will also feature Dvorak's Symphony #8, a robust, cheery work based on Bohemian folksongs masterfully expanded into a tuneful symphony. Leading off the concert will be Mozart's "Overture to The Impresario", a comic work written to outdo his rival Salieri.
Guest conductor Evan Feldman, UNC-CH Assistant Professor, will lead the Chapel Hill Philharmonia. Professor Feldman has a doctorate in musical arts from Eastman School of Music and studied conducting with Donald Hunsberger. The concert will be at 3:00pm in Hill Hall Auditorium on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. Admission is free.