KIMBERLY KONG Photo by Jonathon Timmes Sponsored by Nancy Chasen and Donald Spero MANSION May 4, 11, and 25, 2016 7:30pm
PROGRAM Artist in Residence concert The Mansion at Strathmore Wed, May 4 & 11, 2016, 7:30pm Kimberly Kong with Alicia Ward, cello Suite Italienne for Cello and Piano Igor Stravinsky I. Introduzione II. Serenata III. Aria IV. Tarantella V. Minuetto e Finale Sonata for Piano and Cello in g minor, Op. 19 Sergei Rachmaninoff I. Lento; Allegro moderato II. Allegro scherzando III. Andante IV. Allegro mosso
PROGRAM (continued) Artist in Residence concert The Mansion at Strathmore Wed, May 25, 2016, 7:30pm Kimberly Kong with Cassandra Allen, vocals Alicia Ward, cello Natalie Draper, composer Morgen! Op. 27, No. 4 Richard Strauss Claire de Lune Gabriel Fauré Shifting Landscapes* Natalie Draper Cello Sonata No. 4, Op. 102, No. 1 Ludwig van Beethoven I. Andante II. Allegro vivace Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 119 Sergey Prokofiev I. Andante Grave II. Moderato III. Allegro ma non troppo *Strathmore-commissioned piece
ABOUT KIMBERLY KONG Kimberly Kong debuted at age nine with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Edward Cumming and has since appeared frequently as a soloist with the orchestra under Marvin Hamlish. Other notable solo appearances include recitals at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, PNC Hall at Duquesne University, and Puccini Theatre in Italy. In 2005, she made her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Kong has won grand prizes at the Cincinnati World and Margaret A. Guthman Keyboard competitions; first prizes in the Helen Clay Frick Scholarship, Pittsburgh Concert Society, and National Symphony Orchestra Young Soloists competitions; and second prizes in the Bartok- Prokofiev- Kabelevsky and Music Teachers National Association Piano competitions. She was also winner of the 2007 Koscuiszko Chopin Piano Competition and semi-finalist at the New Orleans International Piano Competition. Kong earned her bachelor s degree in music under Yong Hi Moon at the Peabody Institute and her master s in music under Julian Martin at the Juilliard School. Currently, Kong is a Strathmore Artist in Residence and is pursuing both a doctoral degree in piano performance and master s degree in musicology at the Peabody Institute. She has been a piano faculty member at the Peabody Preparatory since 2011 and teaches at the Performing Arts Institute Summer Music Festival.
ABOUT ALICIA WARD Cellist Alicia Ward made her orchestral debut as a featured soloist at age 12, and has since performed internationally. She was a 2010 11 Artist in Residence at Strathmore when her debut album, Tableaux, was released. She performs in the Ward-Kong Duo with Kimberly Kong and with the SONAR new music ensemble. In 2005, Ward was one of 12 cellists selected to perform at the International Piatigorsky Seminar for Cellists. She has also been invited to attend the Banff International Cello Masterclasses, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Menuhin Chamber Music Seminar, International Music Academy, and the Young Artists Program of the National Arts Centre under Pinchas Zukerman. Ward received her master s degree in music from the New England Conservatory under Laurence Lesser and her bachelor s degree in music from the Peabody Institute under David Hardy. ABOUT NATALIE DRAPER Natalie Draper is a composer based in Baltimore. Draper s music has been programmed by several festivals, symposiums, and conferences, including GAMMA-UT, MusicX, SEAMUS, the Charles E. Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music, and the Tanglewood Music Center. She has worked with a variety of ensembles and performers, including the Fromm Players, Kandinsky Trio, LUNAR ensemble, and Riot Ensemble. Her compositions have received various prizes and recognition, including second prize in the Virginia Carty delillo competition and First Prize in Peabody s Prix d Été competition. Draper has been a resident at the Ucross Foundation and was a composition fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2015. ABOUT CASSANDRA ALLEN Cassandra Allen is a singer-songwriter and arranger most known for her illustrious voice and smooth tones reminiscent of world renowned artists such as Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald. Allen s most notable performances have been in Spain, including a performance at the 2013 Valencia Open 500 in front of a crowd of over 4,000 attendees and over a million televised viewers, her jazz debut at the world-renowned Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar in Valencia, where she became a recurring guest artist, and her performance of a medley of spirituals at the highly acclaimed Museum de Belles Arts. There is more to come from this budding starlet, as she is excited to share the gift of Afro-Latin jazz and Mediterranean folk fusion with all who will listen.
ABOUT THE STRATHMORE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM In 2005, Strathmore introduced its Artist in Residence program to help cultivate local music talent in the Washington, DC area by connecting established artists with emerging musicians. Artists perfect their craft and expand their audience during live performances, build a foundation of business skills to help make their music a viable career, and expand their professional networks. In addition, each artist creates an educational outreach program and premieres a new work commissioned by Strathmore. Learn more about the Artist in Residence program at www.strathmore.org. Savor the Experience AFTERNOON TEA Spice up your week with a trip to the Mansion at Strathmore for Afternoon Tea. Enjoy light, lovely sandwiches, savories, and scones in our elegant Music Room, while notes from the piano, harp, or flute float through the air. UPCOMING TEA SCHEDULE AT STRATHMORE.ORG/TEA Call 301.581.5108 for reservations. Prepaid, nonrefundable reservations required. Vegetarian options available, inquire when reserving. Javan Bowden