Program
From the Colburn School: Pianists Yanfeng Tony Bai & Ryota Yamazaki
Yanfeng Tony Bai, piano
Ryota Yamazaki, piano
Preludes
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN (1871 - 1915)
Op. 17, No. 1
Op. 17, No. 5
Op. 33, No. 3
Op. 33, No. 4
Op. 31, No. 2
Op. 31, No. 3
Etudes Tableaux Op. 39
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873 - 1943)
No. 1: C minor: Allegro agitato
No. 3: F-Sharp Minor: Allegro molto
No. 4: B minor: Allegro assai
No. 5: E-Flat minor: Appassionato
No. 6: A minor: Allegro
No. 7: C minor: Lento
No. 8: D minor: Allegro moderato
Variations on a Theme of Corelli
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873 - 1943)
Theme. Andante
Variation 1. Poco piu mosso
Variation 2. L'istesso tempo
Variation 3. Tempo di Minuetto
Variation 4. Andante
Variation 5. Allegro (ma non tanto)
Variation 6. L'istesso tempo
Variation 7. Vivace
Variation 8. Adagio misterioso
Variation 9. Un poco piu mosso
Variation 10. Allegro scherzando
Variation 11. Allegro vivace
Variation 12. L'istesso tempo
Variation 13. Agitato
Intermezzo
Variation 14. Andante (come prima)
Variation 15. L'istesso tempo
Variation 16. Allegro vivace
Variation 17. Meno mosso
Variation 18. Allegro con brio
Variation 19. Piu mosso. Agitato
Variation 20. Piu mosso
Coda. Andante
INTERMISSION
Etudes Op. 8
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN
No. 2 in F-Sharp Minor. A capriccio, con forza
No. 3 in B Minor. Tempestoso
No. 9 in G-Sharp Minor. Alla balata
Etudes Tableaux Op. 33
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
No. 1 in F Minor: Allegro non troppo
No. 2 in C Major: Allegro
No. 4 in D Minor: Moderato
No. 5 in E-Flat Minor: Non allegro-presto
No. 6 in E-Flat Major: Allegro con fuoco
No. 7 in G Minor: Moderato
No. 8 in C-Sharp Minor: Grave
Moment Musicaux Op. 16
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
No. 2 in E-Flat Minor: Allegro
No. 3 in B minor: Andante cantabile
No. 4 in E minor: Presto
No. 5 in D-Flat Major: Adagio sostenuto
No. 6 in C Major: Maestoso
Yanfeng Tony Bai
Pianist Yanfeng Bai is an international prizewinning pianist who recently won several prizes and awards including the 2022 “Best Performance” Prize in the American Paderewski International Piano Competition in 2022; First Prize at the 2017 China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition; Third Prize at the 2018 Grotrian International Piano Competition in Germany; and First Prize at the 2017 Concerto Competition of the Morningside Music Bridge International Music Festival. One of Yanfeng’s performances was mentioned in Strings Magazine in 2019 as “gorgeous playing.” He was also awarded First Prize in the China Central Television Piano Competition, First Prize at the Fourth Texas State International Piano Festival Classical Artists Development Foundation Emerging Artist Award, First Prize and Special Prize of the national youth piano competition “Kadanza Cup,” and was a prizewinner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Mr. Bai has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra Antonio Vivaldi, and the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra. He has given multiple recitals in the U.S., Italy, and China, and has been featured in interviews by OMNI Television in Canada, the World Federation of International Music Competitions, China Central Television, Piano Artistry Magazine, and Parsons Music.
Mr. Bai is a very active performer. He recently performed at the CCTV Silk Road New Year concert; at the legendary designer Frank Gehry’s 90th birthday celebration concert in Los Angeles; and at the 100th anniversary celebration of Mr. Xia Zhiqiu, where he performed the world premiere premiere of the piano work Xia Zhiqiu in Southern Sea composed by Cui Shiguang. Other appearances include performences at the Aspen Music Festival, Colorado; the “Genius Piano Art Festival,” Italy; Shenzhen Mozart Music Festival, China; the 250th Anniversary Series of Beethoven, Los Angeles; Grand Piano Series in Florida; Zhongshan Concert Hall Liszt Marathon; Central Conservatory of Music Alumni Art Festival; Yangtze River Piano Music Festival; Central Conservatory of Music International Chamber Music Festival; Hubei Yangtze River Piano Art Festival; Pengzhou Citizens Music Festival; Beijing University Student Music Festival; and other exciting performances.
In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Bai will be a guest soloist in China with the Chifeng Symphony Orchestra and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. He will also give concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in Los Angeles as well as participate in the Yangtze River Piano artist recital tour in China.
Mr. Bai is currently studying toward a Master’s of Music degree at the Colburn School of Music, where he studies with Fabio Bidini. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Colburn School of Music as well as a degree from the China Central Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Jin Zhang before coming to Los Angeles.
Ryota Yamazaki
Born in Fukushima, Japan, Ryota Yamazaki began his piano studies at age seven. He has won numerous awards including 1st prize in the Ke' Alohi International piano competition(2022), 1st prize in the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition (2016), Grand Prize and the audience prize in the PTNA Piano Competition (2014), 1st prize at the Yasuko Fukuda Scholarship Audition (2013) and 1st prize in the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition (2012). He has performed with several orchestra including Cleveland Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and VYO Youth Orchestra. He enrolled the Toho Gakuen School of Music with Full Scholarship and studied with Yuko Ninomiya. He is currently studying with Mr. Fabio Bidini at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.