Summer Highlights: Chamber Music Northwest and a Farewell to SummerFest

Beginning on July 19, Cho-Liang Lin performs at Chamber Music Northwest in a concert of Lalo Schifrin’s Letters from Argentina. Following this concert, Chamber Music Northwest launches its mini-festival, “Beyond the Cultural Revolution,” which showcases Chinese classical music and features works by Bright Shen, Vivian Fung, Chen Yi and more. As a part of this series, Lin performs in two concerts, on July 20 (New@Noon) and July 23 (Premieres & Ghost Opera). Lin closes his time at the festival on July 24, joining Jon Kimura Parker and the Miró Quartet for an evening of music by Haydn, Beethoven, and Brahms.

Next, Lin travels to the Montecito International Music Festival as a Special Guest Artist from July 25 to July 27. For the past ten years, the Montecito International Music Festival has worked to instruct, mentor, and inspire the next generation of great musicians. Lin will lead a master class at the festival on July 26.

On August 3, Lin returns to La Jolla Music Society to celebrate his final season as Music Director at SummerFest. As Music Director, Lin has assembled an all-star lineup, including Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Jon Kimura Parker, and many more, for a festival which celebrates Lin’s remarkable eighteen-year tenure. Speaking to the San Diego Union Tribune, Lin adds “I wanted all my favorite musicians, my best friends, to come and celebrate my farewell with me and have a last season I can proudly say is a good one.” SummerFest closes on August 24, with a final concert of works by Elgar and Beethoven performed by the SummerFest Orchestra and led by conductor David Zinman. Lin performs as a soloist, alongside cellist Gary Hoffman, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, and pianist Emanuel Ax.

Cho-Liang Lin Joins the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as Artist in Residence

From June 25 to July 1, Cho-Liang Lin joins the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as Artist in Residence.

Since 1956, NYO Canada has provided comprehensive and in-depth training to some of Canada’s finest young classical musicians. Each year, approximately 100 of Canada’s most promising young orchestral musicians participate in the program, which culminates in a cross-country tour in Canada’s most prestigious concert halls and a final recording session.

The NYO’s 2018 repertoire includes works by Copland, Gershwin, Vaughan Williams, Strauss, Scriabin, Estacio, and Jiang.

Music in May at Cabrillo College

On May 26 and 27, Cho-Liang Lin performs two concerts as part of Music in May at Cabrillo College.

Founded by Artistic Director Rebecca Jackson, Music in May brings globally renowned musicians to Santa Cruz for weekend of classical music. Performing works by Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky, Lin is joined by several talented musicians, including Anna Polonsky, Daniel Stewart, Jonah Kim, Jaime Amador, Liang-Ping How, Tiffany Richardson, and more.

Cho-Liang Lin performs Cinema’s Greatest Musical Hits with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra

On May 10 and 12, Cho-Liang Lin travels to Greensboro, NC to perform with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. The program features some of cinema’s greatest musical hits, including John William’s “Theme from Schindler’s List,” Lalo Schifrin’s “Tango Concertantes,” Bernard Herrmann’s “Psycho Suite,” and more. Dmitry Sitkovetsky conducts.

Watch Lin perform Lalo Schifrin’s “Tango Concertantes.”

Cho-Liang Lin featured in Zhen Chen’s new album, On & Between

On May 11, Navona Records releases Zhen Chen’s new album, On & Between, a musical exploration of the dualities of immigrant cultures and identities. Weaving traditional Chinese instruments and folk tone with piano and Western style chamber music, On & Between is a masterstroke of sophisticated storytelling performed by a stellar ensemble of musicians.

Grammy-nominated Cho-Liang Lin performs on two of the albums tracks, “On the Roof” and “Lullaby.” He is joined by Elmira Darvarova (violin), David Geber (cello), Liang Wang (oboe), Howard Wall (French horn), Shenghua Hu (violin), Milan Milisavljević (viola), and jazz musicians Braxton Cook (saxophone) and Curtis Nowosad (drums). Lin Ma is featured throughout the album, playing the pipa, a traditional Chinese musical instrument with more than two thousand years of history.

Preview  “Lullaby” from On & Between.

Purchase On & Between from Navona Records.

Concerts in China and Japan

This spring, Cho-Liang Lin performs in China and Japan, beginning on April 20 with a celebration of the Leonard Bernstein centennial in Guangzhou, China. Performed at Xinghai Concert Hall, the concert includes Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, Serenade, and Symphonic Dance from West Side Story. Jing Huan conducts the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra.

Next, on April 28, Lin appears with the China Philharmonic at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. The acclaimed violinist performs Brahms’ Violin Concert in D Major (Op. 77).

May begins with two concerts at the Miyazaki Prefectural Arts Center in Miyazaki, Japan on May 1 and May 5. A part of the Miyazaki Festival, Lin performs alongside Akiko Suwanai, a former student, in a program of works by Prokofiev, Beethoven, Grieg, Moszkowski, Brahms, Vivaldi, Bach, and Sarasate.