June 4, 2009
Music of Schubert in spotlight for UW Symphony concert
The University Symphony presents a tribute to Franz Schubert Friday, June 5, in Meany Theater. Program selections include the Rosamunde Overture, Unfinished Symphony, Shepherd on the Rock, featuring soprano Tess Altiverso, and the Wanderer Fantasy, transcribed by Liszt for piano and orchestra. Pianist Erh-Chia Wei is the featured soloist.
Graduate instrumental conducting students Meena Hwang and Julia Tai will lead the orchestra. Hwang, a pianist and cellist since age 4, is currently pursuing doctoral degree in orchestral conducting with Maestro Peter Eros. After graduating the Seoul Arts High School with a composition emphasis, she entered the prestigious Korean National University of Arts and received her bachelor of music degree in orchestral conducting. During these years, Hwang served the university’s orchestra and opera productions as an assistant conductor and directed numerous ensemble groups for contemporary concerts and competitions for young composers.
Since coming to the UW, where she earned her master’s degree, Hwang has served as an assistant conductor to the UW Symphony Orchestra and Opera, and made her opera conducting premiere at Meany Hall with the UW production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Tai began her violin studies at age 4 and piano at age 8. She earned a bachelor of music degree in vocal arts performance and a master of music degree in choral music from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, graduating with the departmental award as the “Outstanding Graduate of 2004” from the Choral and Sacred Music Department.
Tai studies instrumental conducting with Eros and violin with Music Professor Ronald Patterson. She is the co-concertmaster of the UW Symphony and the conductor of the UW Contemporary Ensemble. In 2006, she conducted the UW Opera production of Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins, and was the assistant conductor and chorus master for UW Opera’s production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. She is also the assistant conductor of the Rainier Symphony, and has premiered many works for the Seattle Experimental Opera and the Washington Composers Forum.
The June 5 concert is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Arts Ticket office, 206-543-4880 or online at www.music.washington.edu.
