SZSO
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) will give a concert this Friday night under the baton of Italian conductor Dario Lucantoni. The show will feature young pianist Zhang Lu.
Zhang, born into a musician’s family in the 1980s, studied conducting and piano at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In a graduate program at St. Cecilia School of Music in Rome, Zhang is currently studying conducting with Lucantoni.
The young pianist will perform “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26” by Prokofiev. The most popular of Prokofiev’s five piano concertos, this piece is also thought as one of the most popular concertos of the 20th century. The piece consists of three movements, a standard layout for a concerto but not for a Prokofiev concerto, as all his others conform to less usual patterns. It is famously difficult for the dexterity and stamina it requires of the soloist and, as a result, stands near the top of the list of ultra-virtuosic showpiece concertos. And yet this is no show-off concerto; it’s a work of passionate expression and flies from the keyboard with what sounds like bursts of spontaneity.
The SZSO will also perform “Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47” by Shostakovich. Following the model pioneered by Beethoven, the symphony begins with a sonata and ends with a rousing march.
Born in 1960 in Rome, Lucantoni is not your typical orchestra conductor. He has studied piano, composition, conducting and singing. In 1985 he won first prize in the Franco Capuana European conducting competition in Rome. He has led many well-known orchestras and worked with renowned musicians. He also has composed the music for several films.
Time: 8 p.m., March 15
Tickets: 50-880 yuan
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Free Sunday concert
Four female pianists based in Guangzhou will give a free concert this Sunday afternoon, introducing audiences to piano works by British composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Li Siying
Cai Bing
Li Siying, Zhao Qing and Cai Bing are from Xinghai Conservatory of Music, while Cai Yang is an associate professor from the School of Music and Dance, Guangzhou University.
Cai Yang
Zhao Qing
All four have given concerts at home and abroad besides giving lectures on campus regularly. They will perform “Shulbrede Tunes” by Hubert Parry, “Summer Evening” by John Ireland, and “Toccata” by York Bowen, among others.
Time: 3 p.m., March 17
Sign up: www.szyyt.com
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, 2002 Fuzhong Road 1, Futian District (福田区福中一路2002号深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit A