Chicago’s Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) presents its Annual All Chinese Music Concert — the first CFAS concert featuring 2011-12 Artists in Residence, Duo Diorama (Violinist MingHuan Xu and Pianist Winston Choi). This eclectic concert showcases traditional and contemporary chamber music for piano, strings, woodwinds, marimba, erhu, and chorus, and includes works by internationally acclaimed composers Huang Ruo, Bright Sheng and Chen Yi and the US premieres of Julia Liu Composition Competition Winners “Dream of Hometown” by BoChan Li and “Prelude for Piano” by Chu Chin Yi.

The concert will take place on Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m., Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, 78 E. Washington, Chicago, IL. Admission is free — visit www.chinesefinearts.org or www.chicagoculturalcenter.org for more information.

A preview of this concert will take place on LIVE FROM WFMT, 98.7FM, Chicago’s Classical Experience, on Monday, April 11th from 8-10pm.

PROGRAM INCLUDES:

• US Premiere – BoChan Li: Dream of Hometown for violin and piano (2008)

• Chicago Premiere – Bright Sheng: Hot Pepper for violin and marimba (2010)

• Huang Ruo: Divergence: Concerto No. 3 for Five Musicians (2001)

• Chu Chin Yi: Prelude for piano

• Chen Yi: Happy Rain on a Spring Night (2004)

• Liu Wen Jin: Three Gorges Dam Capriccio

• Works TBA by CFAS Chorus

Duo Diorama (CFAS Artists in Residence/Concert Curators) is comprised of two renowned soloists. Violinist MingHuan Xu performs extensively in recital and with orchestra in China and North America. She is also a highly sought-after chamber musician, having collaborated with the St. Petersburg Quartet, Colin Carr, Eugene Drucker, Ilya Kaler, and Ani Kavafian. Xu was a winner of the Beijing Young Artists Competition and gave her New York debut at age 18 as soloist with the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra. Currently on faculty at Loyola University Chicago, she plays on a 1758 Nicolas Gagliano violin. Pianist Winston Choi was Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition (Canada) and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans. He regularly performs in recital and with orchestra throughout North America and Europe. Already a prolific recording artist, he can be heard on the Arktos, Crystal, l’Empreinte Digitale, Intrada and QuadroFrame labels. Formerly on the faculties of the Oberlin Conservatory and Bowling Green University, he is Assistant Professor and Head of Piano at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Additional musicians will include:
Katherine Jui Chang, piano
Winston Choi, piano (Duo Diorama)
Yuchi Chou, conductor of Huang Ruo’s composition
Robert Dillon, percussion (from the Third Coast Percussion)
Haysun Kang, piano (Head of Piano Program, Loyola University)
Cheng-Hou Lee, cello (cellist in the Avalon String Quartet)
Sang Mee Lee, violin (violinist in the Beethoven Project Trio)
Alexander Li, erhu
Melissa Snoza, flute (flutist from the Fifth House Ensemble)
Jennifer Woodrum, clarinet (clarinetist from the Fifth House Ensemble)
Masahito Sugihara, saxophone (Chicago Reed Quartet)
MingHuan Xu, violin (Duo Diorama)
And the CFAS Chorus (Lori Ho, conductor; Wen-Ming Leung, piano)

For 27 years,  the Chinese Fine Arts Society, a professional, small, fully-independent arts organization has brought together people from diverse backgrounds over a common goal: to celebrate the beauty and majesty of traditional and contemporary Chinese music and art. CFAS is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of Chinese culture, enhancing cultural exchange and pursuing excellence in Chinese music, dance and visual arts.

Funding for this concert is provided, in part, by the Illinois Arts Council, City Arts Grants, and the Arts Work Fund, an initiative of the Chicago Community Trust and Affiliates.