The UTC Music Department will present the students of Dr. Sin-Hsing Tsai in a Piano Studio Recital on Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. in the UTC Fine Arts Center, Roland Hayes Concert Hall, 752 Vine St. It is presented free of charge and is open to the general public.
Amongst the compositions being performed in this recital will be renowned composers such as Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Arensky, and Ravel. The evening’s performances will be comprised of piano compositions that are written for two, four and eight hands. The students performing are all either winners or runner-ups of various music competitions, as well as recipients of numerous awards, so this recital will showcase an evening of musical ability.
Of the most noteworthy of the evening’s performances are Francois-Adrien Boieldieu’s “Der Kalif von Bagdad” and Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” which are both composed for two pianos and eight hands, a rare form of piano quartet. This type of ensemble was popular in the late 19th century before the advent of recordings, as it was a mechanism to reproduce and study symphonic works. “Der Kalif von Bagdad” is an opera comique in one act. It was Boieldieu’s first major triumph and was part of the vogue for operas on Oriental subjects. As with many of the pieces being performed, the “Sabre Dance” is easily recognizable as it has been used in numerous films, animated films, TV series, video games and commercials over the years. The piece’s popular familiarity has been enhanced by its traditional use as accompaniment by travelling circuses and on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show when novelty acts appeared.
Considered one of the best trained pianists of her generation, pianist Sin-Hsing Tsai is currently UC Foundation associate professor at UTC. Dr. Tsai teaches piano, piano pedagogy and piano literature and is actively involved in the community where she has presented several outreach concerts and workshops. She is a Steinway artist and her credentials include having received numerous awards and acknowledgements for her musical performances. She is widely travelled and has collaborated with musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. She is furthermore credited with several world premieres of contemporary compositions. Most recently, she toured with Beethoven Triple Concerto in several Chinese cities under the baton of the eminent maestro Dongxiao Xu.
Guests with a disability requiring accommodations or require additional information regarding this or any other UTC Music Department performance, call the Music office at 425-4601 or, see the Music Department website at http://utc.edu/music.