Bion Tsang, cello, Anton Nel, piano
Saturday, April 9, 2005
2:00PM (I) & 8:00PM (II)
Jordan Hall

To purchase your ticket online, please click here

Tickets:

Online order: $28, General admission open seating
Senior discount $3 off
Student special $10
Student rush tickets at door $12 (start selling at 12:30 pm for the 2 pm concert, and 6:30 pm for the 8 pm concert)
One ticket for both concerts
Children under 6 are not admitted
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Mail Order
Mail this form with a stamped, self-addressed envelope with money order/check payable to:
Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts
3 Partridge Lane, Lincoln, MA 01773
Tel: 781-259-8195, Fax: 781-259-9147
Email: Foundation@ChinesePerformingArts.net
Website: www.ChinesePerformingArts.net
________________________________________
Ticket prices: $28
Senior discount $3 off
Student special $10
Student rush tickets at door $12 (start selling at 12:30 pm for the 2 pm concert, and 6:30 pm for the 8 pm concert)
One ticket for both concerts
Children under 6 are not admitted
Group Discount: 10% off for minimum 20 tickets

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No. of Tickets _____ @ $ 10 = $ _________

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Ticket sales cover only a fraction of expenses; please consider making a generous tax-deductible contribution.
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Tickets can be ordered online at:
www.ChinesePerformingArts.net

Program (subject to change):


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Cellist: Bion Tsang  Tsang1.jpg (15470 bytes)  Tsang2.jpg (15471 bytes)  Tsang3.jpg (21186 bytes)

The young American cellist Bion Tsang has captured the attention of critics and the public alike with his ebullient charisma, unassuming virtuosity, and ability to communicate. As recipient of a 1992 Avery Fisher Grant, a 1990 MEF Career Grant, and the Bronze Medal in the IX International Tchaikovsky Competition, Mr. Tsang has been internationally recognized as one of the outstanding instrumentalists of his generation. He has appeared with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Taiwan National Orchestra.

Mr. Tsang's career as a chamber musician has been equally distinguished, marked by numerous collaborations with violinists Cho-Liang Lin and Pamela Frank, frequent appearances as guest artist of the Boston Chamber Music Society, and performances at festivals such as Marlboro Music, the Portland and Seattle Chamber Music Festivals, Bravo! Colorado, and the Laurel Festival of the Arts, where he serves as Artistic Director.

Highlights of Mr. Tsang's recent seasons include his solo debuts with the American Symphony Orchestra at the Bard Festival, NY and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, CA; his recital debuts at the Usdan Center for the Performing Arts, NY and the Irvine Barclay Theatre, CA; and several North American tours with the Boston Chamber Music Society. Mr. Tsang also returned to Taiwan to perform the Brahms Double Concerto with the Taiwan National Orchestra in two concerts for the President of Taiwan.

Mr. Tsang made his professional debut at age eleven in two concerts with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic. That same year he returned to perform two more concerts with Maestro Mehta and the Philharmonic. One of these performances was broadcast worldwide on the CBS "Festival of Lively Arts" television series. Following this, the young cellist distinguished his career with numerous awards. While still in his teens, he became the youngest cellist ever to receive a Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Prize and the youngest recipient ever of an Artists International Award. He was also chosen as a Finalist of the NFAA's Arts Recognition and Talent Search and subsequently as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. At age nineteen, Tsang became the youngest cellist to win a prize in the VIII International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Born in Michigan of Chinese parents, Bion Tsang began piano studies at age six and cello at age seven. The following year, he entered the Juilliard School to study cello with Ardyth Alton. His other cello teachers have included: Luis Garcia-Renart, Aldo Parisot, William Pleeth, Channing Robbins, and Leonard Rose. Tsang received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and his Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, where he is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate.

Bion performs on a Giovanni Bianchi cello made in Florence, Italy in 1746 that is affectionately named "Screechy." He enjoys playing golf, surfing the net and following the ups and downs of the Miami Dolphins.

Pianist: AntonNel an.jpg (72925 bytes)

Anton Nel, winner of the first prize in the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition enjoys a remarkable and multifaceted career that has taken him throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. Recent highlights in the US include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Symphonies of San Francisco, Boston, and Detroit. He has an active repertoire of more than 100 works for piano and orchestra, including the newly discovered Third Concerto by Felix Mendelssohn of which he gave the North American premiere in November of 1997. His coast-to-coast recital appearances have included numerous performances on the Great Performers at Lincoln Center series in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, as well as the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. A favorite at summer festivals he has performed with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, as well as at the Aspen and Blossom Music Festivals (where he is on the artist-faculties), among many others. Over the years he has regularly collaborated with some of the world's foremost artists including members of the Juilliard and Cleveland Quartets, and cellist Zara Nelsova. With acclaimed violinist Sarah Chang he recently completed a highly successful tour of Japan as well as appearing at a special benefit concert for Live Music Now in London, hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales. In addition to concerts throughout North America and his sixteenth tour of South Africa (where he will perform the Beethoven Concerto cycle in Cape Town), he will be making return visits to Japan and France as well as undertake his debut tour of Korea during the 2002-3 season. Stephen Paulus has recently completed a new Piano Concerto for Mr. Nel, and the world premiere took place in New York in March, 2003. He has three solo CDs (including a recital disc for EMI) as well as several chamber music recordings to his credit.
Following an auspicious debut at the age of twelve with Beethoven’s C Major Concerto after only two years of study, the Johannesburg native captured first prizes in all the major South African competitions while still in his teens, toured his native country extensively and became a well-known radio and television personality. A student of Adolph Hallis, he made his European debut in France in 1982, and in the same year graduated with highest distinction from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He came to the Unites States in 1983 attending the University of Cincinnati, where he pursued his Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees under Bela Siki and Frank Weinstock. In addition to garnering many awards from his alma mater during this three-year period he was also a top prizewinner at the 1984 Leeds International Piano Competition in England and won several first prizes at the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition in Palm Desert in 1986. Eager to pursue dual careers in teaching and performing he was appointed to the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin at the age of 23, followed by professorships at the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Michigan, where he was chairman of the piano department. In September 2000, Anton Nel was appointed as the Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Distinguished Professor of Piano and Chamber music at the University of Texas at Austin. Since his return he has been the recipient of both the Austin-American Statesman’s Critics Circle Award for his performance of the Rachmaninov Second Concerto, as well as the University Cooperative Society/College of Fine Arts award for extra-curricular achievement. He was also recently appointed Visiting "Extraordinary" Professor at the University of Stellenbosch, and continues to teach master classes worldwide.

"An uncommonly elegant pianist" -- New York Times
"A pianist of exceptional sensitivity and stylistic discrimination" -- L.A. Times
" A beautifully weighted tone and a nearly flawless legato" -- Chicago Tribune