This fundraising recital will help support Lawrence complete his music studies with the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and begin his Doctor of Music /Musical Arts degree

Programme

#Beethoven250

#Chopin210

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in B-Flat Minor, WTC I, BWV 867

Haydn: Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52

I. Allegro (Moderato)

II. Adagio

III. Finale: Presto

Gao Ping: Distant Voices (1999)

I. Nostalgia

II. Lovesong of Kangding Town

III. Blue Flower

INTERMISSION

Beethoven: Sonata in A-Flat Major, Op. 110

I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo

II. Allegro molto

III. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro ma non troppo

Chopin: Ballade in F Minor, Op. 52

Born in Hong Kong and raised in New Zealand, Lawrence Wong is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma in Solo Piano Performance with full scholarship at Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music, studying with Professor Emile Naoumoff. He previously completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Bachelor of Science in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland under the tutelage of Qu Yong and Bryan Sayer, and last year he completed his Master of Music with a Graduate Distinction Award at Lee University with full scholarship, studying under Professor Cahill Smith. Earlier this year he graduated with a Performer Diploma in Solo Piano Performance at Jacobs School of Music.

Over the past few years he has won several prizes and scholarships in regional and national competitions in New Zealand. In addition, he has competed in several Australasian and International Competitions, notably the Kerikeri International Piano Competition 2010 (Prize-winner), Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition 2011 (Semi-finalist), 6th China International Piano Competition 2013, the 3rd Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition 2015 (Semi-finalist), the 14th International George Enescu Piano Competition 2016, and the 4th China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition 2017.

He has participated in masterclasses by Hiroko Nakamura, Michael Houstoun, Christopher Elton, Natasha Vlassenko, Ilya Rashkovskiy, Kalle Randalu, and Guillermo Gonzalez. In addition, he has received private lessons from distinguished pedagogues such as J.Y. Song, Gabriel Kwok, Cathal Breslin, MinJung Baek, Daniel Shapiro, Roberto Plano, Natalya Antonova, and Jerome Lowenthal.

Recipient of the Lewis Eady Emerging Artists Award in 2014, he was invited by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to perform in February 2016. He was awarded second prize at The University of Memphis International Piano Competition and Festival in 2017. Over the last two years he was awarded eight institutional acceptances in the USA with substantial scholarships for Doctor of Musical Arts and Artist Diploma programmes (Cincinnati College-Conservatory, Cleveland Institute, Eastman, Indiana, San Francisco, Manhattan, Mannes, Peabody). Whilst pursuing his Artist Diploma full-time remotely, he is also currently working at Middlemore Hospital (Counties Manukau District Health Board) as a full-time Medical Laboratory Technician and COVID-19 worker.