The UTC Music Department will present the 2013 Piano Festival featuring guest performers Chih-Long Hu, Miroslav Hristov, Salome Jordania, Johan Sentana and the students of Dr. Sin-Hsing Tsai March 22-24. Performances will take place in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall at the UTC Fine Arts Center, 752 Vine St., March 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and March 24 at 3 p.m.  All performances are presented free of charge and are open to the general public.

 Review for the performers:

Chih-Long Hu is currently on the faculty of East Tennessee State University. A native of Taiwan and active pianist, he has performed world-wide appearing as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His performances have been broadcast across the country and televised in Taiwan, China and Japan. His most recent CD album "Formosa Caprices" was nominated as “Best Crossover Album” and Mr. Hu as “Best Performer” for the 2009 Golden Melody Award. 

Violinist Miroslav Hristov has been hailed by Fanfare Magazine for his “fine technique and a full palette of tonal colors.” In 2012, he was a featured soloist in Carnegie Hall’s presentation Music from the Balkans: Crossroads of Civilization, where he performed for dignitaries of over a dozen European nations. He has presented master classes and performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader world-wide. In addition, Hristov is Co-Director of UT’s Annual Violin Festival and is currently a faculty member at UT’s School of Music where he mentors a prosperous violin studio. The program will feature; “Sonata for Violin and Piano in E major, BWV1016” by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23,” and Johannes Brahms “Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108”

Salome Jordania started her music education in 2003 at Art Gymnasium and quickly started participating in every concert arranged by the school both with the symphony and as a soloist. She has performed world-wide and has received numerous accolades for her performance including being bestowed the title “Cultural Ambassador of Georgia” by the Mayor of Tbilisi and Laureate of the Young Pianist’s Chopin International Competition in Tbilisi. She has received several invitations for concerts and master classes in Italy, Switzerland and Poland, and was invited to play on Chopin’s personal piano in a special Jubilee Concert. Most recently, she was invited to Moscow, Russia and to Erevan, Armania. Her program will include; “Sonata in D minor #14” by Domenico Scarlatti, “Sonata in C Major # 3 op. 2” by Ludvig Van Beethoven, “Transcendental Etude #12” by Franz Liszt, “Sonata-Fantasia #2 op.19” and  “Nocturne for Left Hand #2 op.9” by Scriabin, “Allegro op.8” by Schumann, and Strauss/Cziffra’s “An Der Schönen Blauen Donau”. 

Born and raised in Indonesia, Johan Sentana, graduated from UTC with a Master’s degree in piano performance. He is currently working at a preventive medicine and healthy lifestyle institution in Georgia, where he serves as piano teacher and music director. Sentana has won SAU and UTC Concerto Competitions and was a recipient of the Rivituso Award, the most prestigious scholarship for piano students. Also performing are Sin-Hsing Tsai’s students; Kelsey Stansell, Amber Snow, Isaac Hinchman, Margaret Cooke, Priska Sentana, Roy Treiyer and Ethan McGrath. Joining forces, they will present a program of four Scherzi and four Ballades by Frédéric Chopin. While both genres bear the undeniable trademark of Chopin, they are extreme opposite in terms of the treatment of form and musical material. Scherzi are fast and dazzling pieces that follow strict ternary form while Ballades are free and imaginative in nature. The energy and the sensitivity, the virtuosity and the lyricism, and the electrifying effects and the delicate simplicity of the pieces will all juxtapose in a wonderful evening of Chopin’s music. 

For more information call 425-4601 or visit http://utc.edu/music.