Internationally acclaimed young pianist Claire Huangci to make West Michigan debut in Beethoven’s famed “Emperor” concerto
Friday evening virtual concert with Symphony at the Frauenthal will be followed on Saturday night with a solo virtual performance from The Block.
Muskegon, October 19, 2020—Continuing its fall series of virtual concerts, West Michigan Symphony will present young American pianist Claire Huangci in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 5—the famous “Emperor” concerto—in a webstreamed performance premiering at 7:30 pm Friday, November 13. Ms. Huangci’s appearance is sponsored by Hines Corporation. Also on the program, conducted by Scott Speck, will be Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 and the rarely-heard overture to the opera The Anonymous Lover by French composer Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The concert is sponsored by the WMS Past Presidents Club. The West Michigan Symphony’s 2020-21 Season is sponsored by Nichols. To order online, visit westmichigansymphony.org or call 231/726-3231. Single ticket virtual passes are priced at $30 for individuals, and $50 for a household of two or more.
In addition to her virtual concert on Friday night with West Michigan Symphony, Ms. Huangci will perform a solo piano recital virtually from The Block at 7:30 pm Saturday, November 14. The program will feature Franz Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 6 “Pastoral”—which Huangci lists as her favorite Beethoven symphony—as well as the rarely-performed piano version of Ravel’s La Valse. To order online, visit theblockwestmichigan.org or call 231/726-3231. Block single ticket virtual passes are $15 for individuals.
“We are so delighted to be able to welcome Claire Huangci to West Michigan for her only U.S. performance this season,” said Music Director Scott Speck. “We have kept in close contact during prior months, and she has shown extraordinary flexibility in working with us to make this concert happen.” Called a “highly gifted pianist” and “among the finest of her generation” by MusicWeb International, the Chinese-American pianist hails from Philadelphia but now makes her full time home in Frankfurt, Germany.
WMS has been a pioneer in developing its online concert series. Audience members have consistently hailed the high quality videography and rich sound, which one patron declared as “like being onstage with the performers.” WMS is offering performances exclusively from the Virtual Concert Hall through the end of the calendar year. After the New Year, WMS will continue to provide virtual concerts as an option for those who prefer it, while re-introducing live attendance as it becomes possible under state regulations and Frauenthal Center safety protocols.
