The Catskill Chronicle

Review by Barry Plaxen, photo courtesy of Ted Waddell

SHANDELEE, NY (September 5, 2013) – If the middle of August is a reminder that school is soon to begin for the semester, for music-loving concertgoers it is a reminder that “school” is over for the season. The latter school I am referring  to is the Shandelee Music Festival’s “International Artists Program”.

During the mid to late summer, while the Festival offers concerts to the public by world class ensembles and instrumentalists, young professionals (pianists) study with eminent artists, broadening their musicianship while developing mastery of the piano as they aim for full time careers as concert artists.

Two performance opportunities for them during the summer session include an Outreach Program, where they “play for and discuss music with individuals who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience a live classical concert”, and (two) concerts in Shandelee’s beautiful Sunset Pavilion which end the season’s musical offerings to the general public.

Every 2013 artist is a multiple prize winner of competitions all over the country, and has performed in major venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Mannes Concert Hall, and with numerous professional and collegiate orchestras here and abroad.

This year, the Artists’ concerts took place on August 15 and 17, and, as always, the performers excited, thrilled, moved and uplifted the audiences with their skill and musicianship.

Familiar faces from the 2012 International Artists Program were 15 year old Claudia Hu and 14 year old Brianna Tang. Hu played two of Schubert’s “Op. 142 Impromptus” and a Haydn Sonata, showing off her growth over the year as a performer. Tang did the same, by performing works of Chopin, Rachmaninoff and the rarely played, and highly melodic, Kabalevksy “Sonata No. 3.”

Multi-prize winner Gabrielle Hsu performed a Chopin Nocturne, Mendelssohn’s Variations Serieuses, and introduced me and many others in the audience to the music of Nikolai Kapustin (b.1937) with one of his remarkable etudes.

Belinda Chen’s presentation of Beethoven’s “32 Variations” was one of the highlights of the first concert. Her prowess and communicative ability were utilized to end the two concerts with Liszt’s bravura “Rhapsodie Espagnole.”

Helen Shen performed works not in the “usual” repertoire, a wonderful Grieg etude, “Hommage to Chopin”. and another etude by Modeste Moszkowski. Grieg’s “Hommage” was, for me, another of the evening’s highlights as it was my first hearing of the work, filled with Greig’s unique harmonies with the added touch of Chopin’s “style”.

The most familiar to the audience of three “mature” performers, Allen Yueh has been performing in the area for a number of years, due to his repeated enrollment in the Shandelee program. The prolific, and may I say brilliant, pianist offered thoroughly satisfying performances of his own two-hand arrangement of Schubert’s four-hand “Fantasie”, and Beethoven’s “Sonata in D, Op 28, ‘Pastorale.’”

Joining Allen Yueh as the other mature performers were siblings Doris Lee and Kevin Lee. Doris was at Shandelee in 2009 and 2011. Kevin is a returnee to Shandelee from 2009. Together they ended the first concert with Schubert’s powerful “Lebenssturme” for four hands. Doris highlighted the second concert with works by Scriabin, his second sonata and his “Poems, Op. 32.” Kevin stood out with his impressive interpretation of Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 24 in F#, Op. 78.”

As always, the encores were fun – including works for Rachmaninoff (I believe) for four hands and one work for six hands.

The two concerts offered examples of the superior results of Shandelee’s program and its standards of excellence in showcasing both the artists’ musicianship and their craft. Many of the works were bravura pieces showing off their technical facility, and other works demonstrated their moving interpretive skills with much inspired phrasing with deep concentration by the pianists evident throughout.

These are concerts not to be missed by classical music lovers. Much of the music is familiar to many, and I always enjoy the works I never heard before. Next June and July, look for announcements for the upcoming 2014 Sunset Concert Season in the press. You can always visit www.shandelee.org and become a member and / or sponsor, and also receive Shandelee’s announcements of its New York City presentations.

(In photo above, Ann Krupski, Shandelee Youth & Outreach Program Director
presents the performers with flowers after the final performance.)