Wallace International Piano Festival

Opening Recital - Avan Yu (Canada)

Programme:

Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576

Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin

INTERVAL

Liszt: Sonetti del Petrarca 104 & 123 from Années de Pèlerinage Book 2, Italy, S. 161

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B Minor, S. 178

Biography:

One of Canada’s most exciting young pianists, Avan Yu achieved international recognition when he triumphed at the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2012, winning First Prize along with nine special awards. Since being invited by Pinchas Zukerman (National Arts Centre Orchestra) and Bramwell Tovey (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) to perform with their respective orchestras, Avan has appeared with conductors and musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Rafael Fruehbeck de Burgos, Christian Arming, Juanjo Mena, Johannes Moser, and the Armida Quartet. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia and at venues such as the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Salle Cortot in Paris, and the Sydney Opera House.

Avan became front-page news as the youngest competitor ever to win the Canadian Chopin Competition at the age of 17. On the world stage, he also went on to win the Silver Medal and Audience Prize at the Santander International Piano Competition. His teachers include Horacio Gutierrez, Klaus Hellwig, Kenneth Broadway, Ralph Markham, and Kut Kau Sum. He has obtained Diplom and Konzertexamen degrees at the Berlin University of the Arts in Germany and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music. While in Germany, Avan has performed at festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, Heidelberger Frühling, Kissinger Sommer, and Ruhr Klavierfestival, and for the President and the Bundestag President of Germany.

Avan’s latest recording of Liszt's piano transcriptions of Schubert's Winterreise and Schwanengesang, released by Naxos, won glowing reviews from critics at Gramophone Magazine, American Record Guide, and Fono Forum.

He has received generous support from Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Vancouver Women’s Musical Society, and The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.

Besides playing the piano, Avan has also written for the National Post. He now resides in New York City.

An exciting four-day event for lovers of piano music

The Wallace International Piano Festival (WIPF) is a biennial event featuring recitals and masterclasses conducted by internationally acclaimed concert pianists and incorporates the Wallace National Junior Piano Competition (WNJPC), providing pre-tertiary pianists across New Zealand with the opportunity to compete for prizes totalling over $4,000.

With thanks to our major sponsors: The Wallace Foundation, Lewis Eady Charitable Trust, Creative New Zealand Communities, The University of Auckland, and IRMT Auckland Branch.