Maestro Ransom Wilson conducts the Redlands Symphony in a concert featuring the music of Felix MENDELSSOHN and Pyter Illyick TCHAIKOVSKY’S Piano Concerto No. 1 on Saturday January 20, 2018 in Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Redlands. The concert begins at 8 PM. Doors open at 7 PM and Maestro Wilson will offer pre-concert remarks beginning at 7:15 PM.
“It’s always a pleasure for the Redlands Symphony to support new talent by inviting the winner of the University’s annual Concerto Competition to perform with the orchestra,” noted Maestro Wilson, “Daniel Yu is an extraordinary talent and I’m certain his performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic piano concerto will delight our audience.”
In addition to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, the event’s program will include A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture and Symphony No. 4 Italian (revised), both by Mendelssohn.
Twenty-year-old pianist DANIEL YU of San Ramon, California, often noted for his clean technique and attentiveness to tone color, already has a long list of solo performances to his credit. Yu is the 2017 winner of the University of Redlands Concerto Competition.
Yu, whose formal piano lessons began at the age of six, was just eleven when he was named a prizewinner for his performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C, K. 245 in the sixteenth annual United States Open Music Competition held in Oakland, California (February ‘08).
Additional honors and prizes followed in competitions from Texas to California: from the Music Society’s Musicians of the Future Solo Competition in El Paso, to the Contra Costa Solo Piano Competition in northern California. At the age of thirteen, under the baton of Music Director LeAnn Isaac, Daniel Yu performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue for the El Paso Independent School District's orchestra competition. Also, as a high school student and winner of the MTAC Panel Competition, he was invited to perform Ravel’s piano masterpiece, Jeux d’eau, in San Jose at the annual convention of the Music Teacher’s Association of California.
In May 2015 Mr. Yu was awarded a Diploma in Music from the American College of Musicians/National Guild of Piano Teachers in recognition of outstanding musicianship and extensive accomplishments as a pianist.
Presently Daniel Yu is a third year Piano Performance Major in the Bachelor of Music program at the University of Redlands. In addition to a four-year talent award, he is a recipient of the Lehigh Endowed Piano Scholarship and is also a member of the University of Redlands’ Chapel Singers. He has worked with prestigious music ensembles including The Who, Chanticleer and the King’s singers, as well as other great figures in music such as Rod Eichenberger, Libby Larsen, Betty Woo, and Oscar Macchioni. He currently studies under Artist Professor Louanne Long.
“The Tchaikovsky is one of the biggest orchestra and piano masterpieces ever written” says Yu, “It has always been a dream of mine to perform this work with a symphony. Now that dream will come true.”
Single tickets and the orchestra’s Pick-4 Subscription are still available at a 50% discount through January 1, 2018. Pick-4 subscriptions allow subscribers to pick any four concerts of their choice, range from $26 to $120, while the sale lasts. Redlands Symphony also offers its Symphony Select card for $159. A Symphony Select card provides six tickets in the best seats available (excluding Golden Circle) at any concert on any date. Card holders can use 2 tickets per concert, all at once, or in any other combination. Both ticket options make outstanding holiday gifts.