Andrew Le of the Hope College music faculty will present a piano recital on Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The theme of the recital is “Going Back.” All three works on the program are some of Le’s favorite music from his childhood years, and are among the first pieces of classical piano repertoire he heard as a young child.
Le will be performing “Children’s Corner,” by Claude Debussy; “Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 90 no. 4,” by Franz Schubert; and “Sonata no. 3 in B minor, Op. 58,” by Frederic Chopin.
Debussy’s “Children's Corner” is a six-movement suite. Debussy dedicated it to his daughter, Claude-Emma (affectionately called “Chou-Chou” by her dad), who was three years old, in 1908. Le noted that the craftily composed piece evokes an ambiance of child-like simplicity but is actually quick difficult to play well. His performance of “Children’s Corner” will be dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Newtown Massacre.
Le noted that Schubert’s music is also difficult to play well, and for similar reasons as with “Children’s Corner.” Schubert’s fourth and last “Impromptu” from his Op. 90 set is very often taught to young, advanced piano students. The perceived simplicity of Schubert’s musical architecture and phrasing belies the enormous complexity of its colors and harmonies.
The very first compact discs that Le owned as a child were of Chopin's piano music, one of which was a disc of Chopin's Sonatas. “The Third Sonata, in B minor” was one of the very first music scores he purchased.
All three of these composers - Debussy, Schubert, and Chopin – are Le’s favorites and will be represented on his commercial compact disc recording, which will be released in late summer 2013 on the Blue Griffin label.
Le is currently head of keyboard studies and associate professor of piano at Hope. His performing has been described as “individualistic without a trace of contrivance or eccentricity” by critic Harris Goldsmith of the “New York Concert Review.” Le’s wide-ranging repertoire spans centuries of music, and he has performed solo recitals, as a chamber musician, and as soloist with orchestras at halls and music festivals throughout the United States and abroad.
Le performs frequently with his wife, violinist Jennifer Walvoord. Together, they are the artistic directors of the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck. He is also the founder and director of the Brown Bag Series at the Holland Area Arts Council, an informal concert series designed to encourage and foster the accessibility of classical music to the public. Passionate about serving his local community, Le has also performed recitals as food drives, the last of which brought in close to 600 non-perishable items that were donated to the Holland Rescue Mission.
Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave, on College Avenue at 12th Street.