FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 22 March 2019
Steinway Piano Series presents virtuoso pianist Yeol Eum Son April 14
By Zachary C. Person
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pianist Yeol Eum Son performs at Oregon State University as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.
Corvallis-OSU Piano International will also host a masterclass and opportunity to meet Son from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 in Community Hall room 303, 1650 SW Pioneer Place.
Son is a prizewinner at the Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn international piano competitions. She is known for thrilling performances of a wide range of concert repertoire, and is an in-demand performer worldwide. Notable solo engagements have included performances with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Dresden Philharmonic; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; the Orchestre Philharmonique du Radio France, and many others. Son has performed solo recitals at many of the most important concert venues in the world, including Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall in London, Berlin’s Philharmonie and the Seoul Arts Centre in her native South Korea.
Her Corvallis recital program includes two popular sets of romantic-era preludes: Frederic Chopin’s Op. 28 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Op. 32.
Chopin’s Op. 28 is a cycle of 24 preludes for solo piano, one each in all 24 major and minor keys. The set of short pieces - none is longer than 90 measures - vary widely in musical content, and are not related thematically as a set. The preludes were composed from 1835-1839. Though Chopin, an acclaimed virtuoso pianist, never performed Op. 28 in its entirety at a single performance, his 24 preludes have since become a cornerstone of the solo piano repertoire.
Rachmaninoff’s Op. 32 is a set of 13 preludes for solo piano written in 1910. Op. 32 was written as a complement to the 11 preludes previously composed by Rachmaninoff, and completed his set of 24 preludes for piano in all major and minor keys.
Tickets $25 in advance, $28 door. Advance tickets are available online at corvallispiano.org or locally at Grass Roots Books & Music. Youth ages 8-18 and all college students with valid ID admitted free. CAFA discounts apply, valid for purchase of up to two $5 tickets at The LaSells Stewart Center starting one hour prior to the concert with SNAP card. Accommodations relating to a disability may be made by calling 541-758-0036, preferably at least one week in advance.
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About Corvallis-OSU Piano International: Corvallis-OSU Piano International furthers the appreciation and celebration of piano music and performance in our community by providing high-quality performances, outreach opportunities and educational programs. COPI presents the Steinway Piano Series, an annual concert series featuring world-class performers. Children’s concerts, master classes, lectures and a jazz series also serve as part of a mission to bring people together in a culture of piano through performance, education and advocacy.