Internationally acclaimed pianist Dang Thai Son, who propelled to the forefront of the music world in 1980 with his gold medal winning performance at the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, will perform a recital concert on Saturday, March 2, at Park University’s Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert is a part of the University’s International Center for Music 2012-13 Concert Series.
Admission to the concert is $15 for the general public; $10 for senior citizens (age 60 and older); and $5 for children (age 12 and under). Park University students, faculty and staff are admitted free with their Park ID. The concert will feature Dang performing pieces composed by Claude Debussy, Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann.
In addition to the concert, Dang will also hold a series of master classes in the Chapel. These master classes will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., and on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The master classes are free and open to the public.
Considered “a genuine artist” by the renowned violinist and conductor Isaac Stern, Dang’s approachable, affable musicality has led to collaborations with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zuckerman and Mstislav Rostropovich, as well as appearances with groups such as the St. Petersburg (Russia) and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras. In 2003, the Yamaha Music Media Corp. published a biography of Dang, A Pianist Loved by Chopin: The Dang Thai Son Story. Recent concert engagements include the complete Beethoven piano concerti with the New Japan Philharmonic and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous concerts dedicated to Debussy in celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday. (For a complete biography on Dang, visit www.dangthaison.net/.)
The next concert in the ICM’s 2012-13 Concert Series will be on Saturday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, featuring a violin recital by Daniel Veis, visiting professor of music at Park. Veis is widely recognized as the finest cellist from the Czech Republic. He won first prize at the 1976 Prague Spring International Competition and the silver medal at the prestigious 1978 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow.
The International Center for Music at Park University was established to foster the exchange of master teacher/performers, renowned young musicians and programs from countries across the globe. The education of emerging musicians is at the philosophical core of the Center’s mission and the quality of that training crucial to great artistry. The focus of the Center is on piano and strings performance. For more information about the International Center for Music, visit www.park.edu/icm.
