2024 PYPA Piano Festival
Program
This concert is a collaboration with PENTATONE
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Les jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este, from Années de pèlerinage, S. 163 — Troisième année
Five Lieder Transcriptions
Leise flehen meine Lieder (F. Schubert)
Auf dem Wasser zu Singen (F. Schubert)
Ave Maria (F. Schubert)
Erlkönig (F. Schubert)
Widmung (R. Schumann)
— Intermission —
Three Concert Études, S. 144
Il lamento
La leggierrezza
Un sospiro
Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254
A personal note from Ching-Yun
In this program, each piece is intricately connected and seamlessly linked to the next, making the whole album a journey. Liszt is portrayed here as a composer of transformation, from his spiritual late work to heartfelt lieder transcriptions, to storied Concert Etudes and virtuosically brilliant Spanish Rhapsody. This is a journey of metamorphosis of the soul and heart.
Program Notes
Ticket: $28
Charlotte Hu
Concert Pianist, PYPA Artistic Director
“…that elusive superstar quality that everybody looks for… Musical, energetic and full of flair.”
Jerusalem Post
“The Chopin Rondo in E-flat, Op. 16 was played with elegance and flabbergasting finger work. Speaking in terms of sheer technical brilliance, I don’t recall being as amazed even by Horowitz’s performance of the same work.”
Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review
A “first-class talent” (Philadelphia Inquirer) possessing a “superstar quality — musical, energetic, and full of flair” (Jerusalem Post), Taiwanese American pianist CHARLOTTE HU (formerly known as Ching-Yun Hu) has been praised by audiences and critics across the globe for her dazzling virtuosity, captivating musicianship, and magnetic stage presence.
At the heart of Charlotte’s success is a story of strength, dedication, and resilience that has powered her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Moving to the United States from Taiwan at age 14 without her parents to begin studies at The Juilliard School was the first of many challenges Charlotte has overcome in building her illustrious career — one that’s included winning top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, performing on classical music’s biggest stages, and fostering the next generation of musicians as an advocate for classical music through entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives.
As a soloist, Charlotte has astounded audiences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing sold-out concerts at many of the world’s most prestigious venues — including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Osaka’s Symphony Hall. She is a frequent guest at music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Ruhr-Klavier Festival, and Oregon Bach Festival. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic, among others.
With a fierce dedication to making classical music more accessible, Charlotte presents captivating programs that tell human stories inclusive of gender and race. By juxtaposing audience favorites with underperformed treasures and newly commissioned works, Charlotte’s recitals consistently offer musical and narrative contrasts that encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.
An active recording artist, her debut album of Chopin works on ArchiMusic was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Award, and recordings released on Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound with Boston Modern Orchestra Project have received overwhelming critical acclaim. Her Rachmaninoff album on Centaur/Naxos received a five-star review by the U.K.’s Pianist magazine, which called it “essential listening for Rachmaninoff admirers.” Her upcoming album, Liszt Metamorphosis, released by PENTATONE will be available worldwide on July 19, 2024.
Charlotte Hu is the founder of two piano festivals across two continents: the Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. Now in its 12th year, PYPA has become an important fixture in the classical music world, cultivating a deeper appreciation for classical music and serving as a cultural bridge between East and West.
A tireless advocate for humanity, Charlotte raised $27,000 for youth education charities through a Hope Charity Concert live-streamed on her Facebook page in June 2020. The online concert reached more than 140,000 people across the globe.
A Steinway Artist, Charlotte Hu serves as an artist in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia, in addition to her busy performance schedule. She is a frequent guest artist, leading master classes and artist residencies at universities and music festivals worldwide. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Germany’s Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, where she studied with Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and Karl-Heinz Kammerling, respectively.