Piano Recital by Tony Yike Yang
Hailed by CBC Music as one of Canada’s finest young musicians, pianist Tony Yike Yang first rose to international acclaim at the age of 16 after becoming the youngest-ever laureate in the history of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, winning the 5th prize in 2015. Since then, he has appeared in some of the world’s leading concert halls, from Carnegie Hall and the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre to the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, performing with major orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Orchestre Métropolitain.The centerpiece of his programme at Abbey 301 is Beethoven's "Appassionata" sonata, one of the most thrilling, emotionally intense sonatas ever written for piano. Stormy, unrelenting, and full of raw power, it remains a touchstone of Beethoven's "middle period," and a benchmark for pianists daring enough to take it on. If you've ever wondered what all the fuss is about with Beethoven, this is the piece that explains it.The evening opens with the wistful, songful Schubert Impromptu, and after intermission, Tony takes on all four of Chopin's Scherzos—dramatic, virtuosic showpieces that swing from brooding intensity to dazzling brilliance.From Beethoven’s volcanic intensity to Chopin’s brilliance and poetic imagination, this is an evening of some of the piano repertoire’s most enduring and exhilarating music.ProgrammeSchubert: Impromptu No. 1 in F minor, D. 935 Beethoven: Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata” Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39Chopin: Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
