2024-25 Piano Recital Series

Schaghajegh Nosrati

Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.

This year’s Piano Recital Series begins with German pianist Schanghajegh Nosrati in her Duke debut. Nosrati’s international acclaim stems from her dedication to the piano, which has earned her numerous accolades and concerts at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and more. Nosrati’s international breakthrough came in 2014 when she was an award winner at the International Bach Competition of Leipzig, so it is fitting that her program begins with J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 4 in D Major, a pinnacle of Baroque repertoire. She then moves into the early Romantic period with Mendelssohn’s Variations sérieuses. Haydn’s Andante con variazioni in f minor Hob. XVII/6 provides a classical interlude before Nosrati dives into Alkan’s monumental Symphony for Piano Solo op. 39 Nr. 4-7, a feat of technical virtuosity.

PROGRAM:
Bach: Partita No. 4 in D Major
Mendelssohn: Variations sérieuses op. 54
Haydn: Andante con variazioni in f minor Hob. XVII/6
Alkan: Symphony for Piano Solo op. 39 Nr. 4-7

Joyce Yang

Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.

Acclaimed pianist Joyce Yang returns to Duke for the first time in twelve years. Since her last visit when she was just 19, she has blossomed from wunderkind into a mature and sensitive artist at the forefront of her craft. Yang has garnered international acclaim for her virtuosity and colorful musical personality.

In this concert, Yang will showcase her exceptional talent with a program featuring Beethoven’s playful and vigorous Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3 “The Hunt,” followed by a selection of Rachmaninoff’s Preludes, Op. 32. After an intermission, Yang will mesmerize the audience with Mussorgsky’s timeless masterpiece “Pictures at an Exhibition,” a virtuosic display that vividly portrays a stroll through exhibition, with each movement based on an individual work by the composer’s friend, artist and architect Viktor Hartmann.

PROGRAM:
Beethoven: Sonata #18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, No. 3 “The Hunt”
Rachmaninoff: Preludes, op. 32 (selection)
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Michelle Cann

Friday, February 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

“Compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Music Intelligencer), Michelle Cann makes her Duke debut with “The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance.” This invigorating program pairs Cann’s acclaimed renditions of works by each featured artist with spoken commentary about their fascinating lives and histories.

Cann is particularly well-known as a champion of the music of Florence Price, the first black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. Cann’s tireless advocacy and skillful performances in some of the world’s finest concert halls have helped to revive Price’s rightful place in the classical music canon. Her program for this evening includes two works by Price along with four of her once-marginalized contemporaries.

The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance

Nora Holt: Negro Dance Op. 25, No. 1
Betty Jackson King: Four Seasonal Sketches
Florence Price: Fantasie nègre No. 2
Florence Price: Fantasie nègre No. 1
Irene Britton Smith: Variations on a Theme by MacDowell
Margaret Bonds: Spiritual Suite 

Daniela Liebman

Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.

Daniela Liebman, a twenty-one-year-old prodigy hailing from Mexico, makes her Duke debut in the final concert of this year’s Piano Recital Series. Although young, Liebman has already performed with over thirty orchestras on four continents, including her professional debut at age 8. Trained under renowned mentors and a current student at The Juilliard School, Liebman captivates audiences with her technical prowess and heartfelt interpretations of classical repertoire. We look forward to sharing details about her program for this concert soon. One thing is certain – this is an opportunity to see a rising star in the early years of an already illustrious career.