Classical music aficionados and anyone who wants to enjoy a quality, live piano performance will have to travel no farther than Newton High School next week.
Pianist and prodigy Joyce Yang graces the Porter Hall Auditorium Saturday, Nov. 1, as part of the Newton County Arts Association 2008-2008 Arts Season.
"Joyce Yang is one of the top pianists in the world," said Arts Association Executive Director Buncie Lanners,."One of the goals of the Arts Association is to bring in world class artists to this area so people who don’t get a chance to go to Atlanta or travel get to hear top artists."
Winner of the silver medal at the twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 19 in 2005, Yang also received awards for the Best Performance and Best Performance of New Work. She has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony and the Aspen Symphony. Yang also opened for the National Symphony.
Lanners added that the sponsors, SKC and Ramsey Furniture Company, had a particular interest in exposing young performers in the area to top caliber musicians.
The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for senior citizens and $10 for students. To buy tickets or for more information, visit www.newtoncountyarts.org or call (770) 786-8188.
Yang is featured in the film documentary, "In the Heart of Music," about the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and her debut disc, distributed by Harmonia Mundi USA, includes live performances of works by Bach, Liszt, Scarlatti, and the Australian composer Carl Vine. She currently resides in New York City where she attends the Juilliard School as a student.
Yang continues to captivate audiences and colleagues with her warm and generous personality, combined with musicianship that belies her age. Other recent engagements include recitals in Chicago presented by the Chicago Symphony, the Tonhalle in Zurich, Ft. Worth for the Van Cliburn Foundation, Seoul, Korea and six recitals in Hawaii. She appears with no fewer than fifteen orchestras throughout North America as well as continues her collaboration with the Takacs Quartet.
