The Eastman School of Music’s Faculty Artist Series presents Guy Johnston, Associate Professor of Cello and Chiao-Wen Cheng, Assistant Professor of Accompanying, on Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m., in Kilbourn Hall. The program consists of Beethoven’s Seven Variations on ‘Bei Männern, welche Lieber fühlen,’ Britten’s Sonata in C, Op. 65, and Schumann’s Andante und Variationen Op. 46 for two pianos, two cellos and horn, as well as Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in G minor, Op. 19. This performance also features Elinor Freer, piano, Steven Doane, cello, and Peter Kurau, horn.
One of the most exciting and versatile British cellists of his generation, Guy Johnston was born into a musical family and joined his brothers in the world-renowned choir of King’s College, Cambridge, where he recorded the famous carol, “Once in Royal David’s City” under Stephen Cleobury. He went on to achieve important early successes through the BBC Young Musician of the Year title, the GuilheminaSuggia Gift, the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award, and receiving a Classical Brit Award at the Royal Albert Hall.
He has made many important debuts, including the First Night of the BBC Proms playing the Elgar Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, the Brahms Double Concerto in the Philharmonie with the DSO Berlin under Juraj Valchua, Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the St. Petersburg State Capella Orchestra under Dmitriev in St. Petersburg, the Elgar Concerto with the Osaka Philharmonic under Tadaaki Otaka in Tokyo, and the Schumann Concerto with the English Chamber Orchestra under Tilbrook. Among past highlights with leading orchestras in the UK are Strauss’s Don Quixote with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain under Yan Pascal Tortelier, the Walton Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic under Tortelier, the Dvorak Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Seal, Britten’s Cello Symphony with the Royal Northern Sinfonia under Robin Ticciati, and Shostakovich Concerto No. 2 with the RTE National Orchestra under Vladimir Altschuler in Dublin.
Taiwanese pianist Chiao-Wen Cheng has performed as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the United States and Asia. Solo engagements include the Fort Worth Symphony, Greece Symphony, and Taiwan Shin-Min Orchestra. Cheng has won numerous piano competitions and awards, including First Prizes at the Schubert Club Competition (2012); the Piano Texas International Academy and Festival Concerto Competition (2010); the Excellence in Accompanying Award at the Eastman School of Music (2010); and the Clara Ascherfeld Award in Excellence in Accompanying at Peabody Institute (2009).
A vibrant and dedicated chamber musician, Cheng has become a sought-after collaborative partner. She performs with the Argos Trio and has appeared numerous times on the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester concert series. A particularly rewarding facet of her career has involved chamber music concerts with musicians from all of the world, including Juliana Athayde (concertmaster, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra); Ian Bousfield (former principal trombone, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra); Astrid Schween (cellist, Juilliard Strong Quartet); and Ko-ichiro Yamamoto (principal trombone, Seattle Symphony Orchestra).
The Faculty Artist Series is generously supported by Patricia Ward-Baker.
Tickets for Eastman’s Faculty Artist Series are $10 for the general public and free to current Season Subscribers and UR ID holders. Tickets can be purchased at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 26 Gibbs Street, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., Monday-Friday; by phone (585) 274-3000; or online at http://eastmantheatre.org
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About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training. The current dean is Jamal Rossi, appointed in 2014.
About 900 students are enrolled in Eastman’s Collegiate Division—about 550 undergraduate and 350 graduate students. Students come from almost every state, and approximately 20 percent are from other countries. They are guided by more than 95 full-time faculty members. Six alumni and three faculty members have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and numerous alumni and faculty have received Grammy Awards. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 800 concerts to the Rochester community.