WILSON, N.C. — April 10, 2015 — The Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra will present its Spring Concert on Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m., in the Kennedy Family Theatre on the Barton campus. The symphony welcomes to the Barton stage internationally acclaimed concert pianist Ang Li, who will perform Beethoven’s seminal “Piano Concerto no. 2, in B-flat Major.” The orchestra under the direction of Barton’s Mark N. Peterson will also present Brahms’ witty and exciting “Academic Festival Overture” and the stirring “Crown Imperial” by William Walton. “It is a real honor to have such an extraordinary artist to perform with us,” said Peterson. “Ms. Li is a tremendous musician who brings remarkable insight to the performance of this wonderful work of Beethoven.”
Li is an internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso whose performance credits and talents reach well beyond her years. Her youth, talent, personality, and audience appeal truly make her one of the world’s rising classical piano stars. Her extensive repertoire ranges from early Baroque to contemporary piano music. Hailed as “a most accomplished pianist” by the InDaily in Australia and “a revelation” by La Presse in Montréal, Li made her first public appearance at Beijing Concert Hall at age six. At age 13, she made her orchestral debut with the Little Orchestra Society of New York at Avery Fisher Hall. And, one month prior to performing at Avery Fisher Hall, Li made her orchestral debut with the Manhattan School of Music Repertory Orchestra.
In 2007, she was invited by The China National Center for the Performing Arts to replace pianist Yundi Li in the performance of the Ravel Piano Concerto in G major with the China National Symphony Orchestra. Ang Li was immediately re-engaged to perform at that venue with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra in 2008. She has also performed with the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Staten Island Symphony, The Lanaudière Music Festival Orchestra, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, and the American Academy of Conducting Orchestra.
Li performs regularly throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. She has appeared at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ruïnekerk of Bergen in the Netherlands, Hong Kong City Hall, and Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, among others.
Following the concert, the audience is cordially invited to meet the musicians at a reception, hosted by ARAMARK Higher Education, in the Bridgestone Americas Atrium of the Kennedy Family Theatre.
Admission for the spring orchestra performance will be $10 at the door or by season ticket. All students within the community will be admitted free of charge as well as faculty, staff and students of Barton College. For additional information, please contact Sheila Wilson at 252-399-6334 or email: spwilson@barton.edu.
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