Having reached the final of this year’s 21st Leeds International Piano Competition, the young and gifted Taiwanese pianist Kai-Min Chang is unquestionably making waves in the classical music scene. The concerto finals of the piano competition take place at the historic St George’s Hall in Bradford on 20 and 21 September 2024, giving Chang another opportunity to demonstrate his remarkable talent as he competes for one of the most prestigious accolades in the world of classical music. The concerts will be broadcast live on the competition’s website.
Soon after this thrilling competition, we will have the opportunity to hear Chang perform in Ljubljana at the opening concert of the 32nd Young Virtuosi in Knights’ Hall on 29 September 2024 (concert starts at 7.00 pm).
Chang performed for a Slovene audience for the first time last year when he debuted at the first Ljubljana Festival International Competition – Piano 2023, at which he won first prize. This was the first edition of a triennial piano competition open to professional pianists of all nationalities born between 1995 and 2009, the only competition of its kind in Slovenia.
Chang is currently studying with Dang Thai Son at the New England Conservatory in Boston (USA). In 2021 he was a quarter-finalist at the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. In 2018 he won second prize at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition in Oberlin (USA) and the jury’s special prize at the 4th Asia-Pacific International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
He has performed with several orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.
For his Ljubljana performance, Chang will present a programme full of diversity and depth, casting light on various musical styles and periods. Edvard Greig’s Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45 is an emotional and dramatic work rich in romantic, melancholy themes that explore love and loss. Fritz Kreisler’s works Allegretto in the Style of Boccherini and Tempo di Minuetto in the Style of Pugnani explore historical dance forms with a vivid and elegant interpretation. Robert Schumann’s Romance No. 2 in A Major, Op. 94 is a lyrical work that expresses feelings of intimacy and romance. The programme will conclude with César Franck’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, known for its complex structure and rich harmonies, and Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane, a work of intense passion and virtuosity that brings a unique touch of Romani music.
The concert programme will undoubtedly showcase Kai-Min Chang’s mastery of his instrument, both as a soloist and in partnership with violinist Hina Khuong-Huu.
Join us at the concert and experience for yourself the bravura of these two young musicians.
