LIHU‘E — If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, do it! Chinese musical prodigy Haochen Zhang brings his mesmerizing piano playing to Kaua‘i Community College in Puhi today. Presented by the Kaua‘i Concert Association, the performance starts at 3 p.m.
LIHU‘E — If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, do it! Chinese musical prodigy Haochen Zhang brings his mesmerizing piano playing to Kaua‘i Community College in Puhi today.
Presented by the Kaua‘i Concert Association, the performance starts at 3 p.m. at KCC Performing Arts Center. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $10 for students.
In 2009, at age 19, Zhang, along with Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsu, became the youngest competitor to win the prestigious Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Since then, he has been touring throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
Today’s performance is Zhang’s last in a series of five concerts throughout Hawai‘i. So far, Zhang says he has enjoyed his time on the islands.
“Beautiful weather, beautiful landscapes,” Zhang said during a phone interview Thursday. “People here are very nice, very warm.”
Zhang was born in Shanghai and began playing piano around age 4. He says his mother introduced him to the instrument after reading an article in Reader’s Digest which said piano was one of the easiest ways to raise baby intelligence.
“They never thought it was going to be serious,” Zhang said. “It turned out that I had a talent and learned much faster than kids my age.”
Zhang’s first performance was at age 5 at the Shanghai Music Hall, where he performed all of Bach’s two part inventions.
“Then I began to realize that I should get more serious about it,” he said. “At age 9 I went professional.”
Ideally, Zhang tries to practice piano between four and five hours each day. But he doesn’t force it.
“I don’t believe practice should be work,” he says. “It should be your natural, spontaneous inspiration.”
While Zhang enjoys several other instruments, he says the piano is the only solo instrument that has “the ability to incorporate all the factors of music making.”
And he loves the piano for its personal quality.
“Part of being a soloist is that everything is just so personal to you … you have total control of your own emotion,” he says. “It (the piano) is really unique. It doesn’t need anything else.”
When not playing piano, Zhang says he enjoys reading, surfing the Web, watching movies, painting, poetry and “anything related to the arts.”.
“I have a huge curiosity for things,” he says. “I love to think. As an artist, being emotional is very important.”
During today’s performance, Zhang says the audience can expect “a variety of styles and changes,” including Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” Schumann’s “Carnaval” and Chopin.
“Basically all the styles,” Zhang said.
KCA Secretary Jason Blake says Zhang is a must-see, for both classical fans and non-fans alike.
“It’s transformative,” he said. “Even if (classical music) is not your cup of tea, he really does rock your world.”
In past seasons, Zhang has performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, according to his online biography.
“Mr. Zhang has a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity that is nurtured through his continuing studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia under the guidance of Gary Graffman,” his biography states.
Prior to today’s public concert, Zhang performed at a sold-out, invitation-only event Oct. 10 at the house of Dr. Timothy Lee. Proceeds from the event benefited the Kaua‘i Concert Association.
“It was great,” KCA President Jim Bray said. “We had almost 50 people there. He (Zhang) played a piece by Franz Liszt.”
Zhang’s performance today is a “kick-off concert to a really amazing season for KCA,” according to Blake.
“This is kind of our comeback season,” he said. “It’s the most ambitious season so far.”
Future performances for the KCA’s 2012/2013 season include Benoit JazzWorks, Berklee College of Music Faculty Steelgrass Residency Winner, El Mundo, the Hawai‘i Youth Symphony, Lea Salonga-Chien, the Afiara String Quartet, and Dala.
For more information or to purchase tickets for today’s performance visit www.kauai-concert.org, or call 254-7464.
