RACHEL CHEUNG PIANO RECITAL @ STEINWAY GALLERY

RACHEL CHEUNG Piano Recital

Steinway Gallery Singapore

Sunday (27 July 2025), 2.30 pm

The perennial questions why Hong Kong pianists achieve where Singaporean pianists fear to tread resurfaced when Rachel Cheung returned to Singapore for a piano recital and masterclasses. The 34-year-old Hongkonger was the first pianist from the former British crown colony to reach both the grand finals of the Leeds (2009) and Van Cliburn (2017) International Piano Competitions. In Fort Worth, TX, she was also awarded the Audience Prize, which was emulated by fellow Hongkonger Aristo Sham, 1st Prizewinner at this year's Van Cliburn. 

Young pianists from Hong Kong
have conquered the world:
Aristo Sham, Tiffany Poon,
Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong.

Is it the water in the SAR which brings about such other pianistic talents like YouTube sensation Tiffany Poon, Warsaw Chopin finalist Colleen Lee and KaJeng Wong, who has already made three recital albums? No, it's probably a combination of good teaching, artistic environment (HK is still miles ahead of SG) and a "can do" spirit which make them world-beaters while we tend to take it easy and rest on our laurels. Even humble Malaysia has Tengku Irfan, Magdalene Ho and Vincent Ong (participant in Warsaw this year) to make us look over our shoulders. 

What did Rachel perform at the Steinway Gallery? She began not with selected movements but the complete Schumann Fantasiestucke Op.12, eight movements displaying an enormous range in her playing. How she found a seamless lyricism in the opening Des Abends was admirable, contrasted with the soaring ecstasy of Aufschwung and the quizzical musings of Warum?. 

If there were an ultimate test to the Steinway D's sonority and resonance, the smouldering In der Nacht fully captured that and a bit more. The spirits of Schumann's alter egos Florestan and Eusebius were realised in that virtuosic number, later kicking in for Fabel and Traumes Wirren which had playfulness and fantasy to equal degree. The valedictory Ende vom Lied provided a satisfying close to the set.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth, Rachel performed Jeux d'eau and Pavane pour une infante defunte. The impressionist splashy water-play with Lisztian flourishes found a perfect foil in the Belle Epoque and austere charm of the latter. This certainly was not a dead pavane, to quote the Frenchman's own witty words.

Closing the recital proper was Liszt's Waltzes from Gounod's Faust, a series of virtuosic dances combining the whimsical, romantic and ultimately fantastic impulses from the opera. The filigree of its cadenzas was well done, and Rachel certainly had the physical heft to surmount its big hitting climaxes. There was a mad rush with spilt notes towards to end but she brought out louds cheer from the salon audience in attendance. Now one longs to hear her Mephisto Waltzes or Don Juan Fantasy sometime.

There was time for an encore, Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No.1 to mark the 100th anniversary of the eccentric Frenchman's death. The playing was simplicity and elegance personified.

Someday, Singapore's Toby Tan may
emulate Rachel Cheung's multiple successes.
Practise, practise, practise!

Rachel Cheung was presented by 

Pianology and Steinway Gallery Singapore.

PIANO RECITAL BY STUDENTS OF ELEANOR WONG / THE JOY OF MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013 / Review

THE JOY OF MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013

Here I am back in Hong Kong for another helping of musical treats organised by the Chopin Society of Hong Kong – The Joy of Music Festival, and held at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Primarily an international piano festival centred around the 1^st prizewinners of the Hong Kong International Piano Competition (which the Society also organisers) and other laureates, it also features chamber music, which have been an added delight.

Monday (14 October 2013)

Recital by Past and Present

Students Of Eleanor Wong

The festival opened with a recital by four piano students of leading Hong Kong pedagogue Eleanor Wong from the HK Academy of Performing Arts. Her students have won important prizes at major international piano competitions and represent the acme of Hong Kong’s piano talents.

Johnson Li Zhong Xin (above), only eleven years old, has been tipped to be the next Lang Lang, having been taken under the wing by the Chinese phenom himself. That might just be an underestimation, as I think he may be the next Glenn Gould. In Bach’s French Suite No.5 in G major, one would expect note perfection and rhythmic accuracy at the very least. He delivers those and more. He sounds like he knows exactly what he wants to achieve, and how to get it without affectation or extraneous gestures. He strides confidently on stage like a pugilist and sits at the edge of the piano stool; his feet barely touch the pedals and he cannot sit any higher! His sound is clear, the notes and passages are precisely articulated without idiosyncrasy or other effects that colour Gould’s playing. After the breathless Gigue, he followed with Chopin’s First Impromptu in A flat major (Op.29) which showed he understood the nuances of rubato and the suppleness of tonal colour. Li is certainly not a cookie-cutter prodigy, and I expect to hear more from him in years to come.  

Tsang Hin Yat, 20 this year, has also gone by the name of Mozar Tsang (Mozart sang, get it?). He is nattily attired in white, looking every bit the part of a cruise ship pianist or a Liberace wannabe (minus the candelabra). Thankfully, his playing is as serious as they get, beginning with Samuel Barber’s Nocturne, a night piece in homage of John Field rather than Chopin. He shades the short but dark work quite beautifully, bringing out its subtle dissonances over an uneasy calm of cantabile, before drawing out a brief but turbulent centre. His big work is Schumann’s Humoreske (Op.20), the longest work of the evening, and one not easily programmed within the confines of a recital. Its half-hour could be laborious listening, but Tsang varied its myriad moods and sections well. Schumann sang in the achingly lyrical opening and the ensuing allegro was well contrasted. In short, he made one listen through its longeurs and his technique is well up to the work’s demands. Only the final section came across as repetitious but that was before he romped home on a spirited high. Perhaps we can hear some “Schuber Tsang” from this fine young artist.    

Professor Eleanor Wong with her students, (from left)
Colleen Lee, Rachel Cheung, Mozar Tsang and Li Zhong Xin.

Rachel Cheung, now 22 but a finalist in the Leeds International Piano Competition as a teenager, is already a celebrity of sorts in the SAR. Her recital comprised two 20^th century sonatas. Leos Janacek’s Sonata “On The Street” was conceived as a requiem in memory of a worker killed in a 1905 riot in Brno. Overlooking its socialist overtones, it is a dark and bitter work in which Cheung was sensitive to its every note and phrase. The sense of foreboding was ever-present and she maintained that tension quite expertly without going into overdrive. The “Death” as portrayed in the second movement was swift and violent (as murders tend to be) and the catharsis seemingly unresolved (as all premature deaths are) by the work’s quiet end. Almost completely different in tone and mood, but equally convincing in performance, was Bartok’s Sonata. To these ears, Cheung’s take was refreshingly free of the usual percussiveness and banging, the sharp and angular contours smoothed over by a musicality that was utterly convincing. The slow movement was plain-speaking, and although I don’t know the Hungarian language, I can only guess what she was saying would have been a result of her two years of studying with Peter Frankl at Yale. Similarly, the relentless pursuit in the finale impressed by its sheer pace and stamina, and again in full control of all faculties.

Colleen Lee is the senior colleague in this company, having just crossed over the competition circuit age-group into the reality of adult concert life. What she has won in terms of prizes was brought to bear in her recital; she is a finished product of years of studies, training and competing. And she is a totally musical soul, as her reading of Cesar Franck’s Prelude, Choral and Fugue showed, with full attention paid to colour, texture and sonority. The spirituality of its musical language shone through in its lachrymose themes, arriving radiantly in the arpeggiated Choral section. Through the dizzying fog of the final Fugue, light and clarity - not to mention digital brilliance - illuminated the way.

By now the audience had been treated to music from the Baroque to the 20^th century, and it was for Lee to finish off with a living composer’s music. The choice of Nikolai Kapustin’s Variations was totally astute, given that its subject is that opening bassoon melody from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, the centenary of which is celebrated in this festival. Her approach was cool, even nonchalant, but that allowed much of the grace notes and harmonic nuances to be better savoured, and when the heat was on, she turned on the quintessential jazzman’s swagger to complete the concert with great aplomb.

HK Chopin Society President Dr Andrew Freris
with the score of Lavignac's 8-hands masterpiece.

Hong Kong has very much to be proud about with its surfeit of piano talent, and Eleanor Wong was rightly acknowledged for her inimitable contributions. All four pianists finally converged on the single Steinway keyboard for the delicious and totally frivolous Gallop-Marche by Albert Lavignac which brought down the house. Now that is something the ex-Bukit Damai piano quartet of Neil, Boris, Etienne and yours truly should try out sometime! 

WHICH YOUNG PIANIST DO YOU REGARD AS THE FUTURE OF THE CLASSICAL PIANO? Results of Pianomania Poll

The results of the most recent Pianomania Poll are out, drawn from 97 entries over the past four months. The names of young pianists were drawn from lists of recent competition winners and concert listings, representing talents from different parts of the globe. The piano has become a universally popular instrument and the greatest pianists of the future can come from any part of the world today. 

No.1 

YUJA WANG (China) 

42 votes, 43%

Was there any doubt that this Chinese female phenom of the piano would top this list? Her two recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label were simply superb, and her Singapore recital proved beyond any doubt that all the hype about her were for real.

No.2 

SERGIO TIEMPO (Venezuela) 

24 votes, 25% 

 A very visible presence thanks to his recordings on EMI Classics and frequent appearances at Martha Argerich's Lugano Festival. Is Venezuela and El Sistema the way to the future of music? Better believe it!

NO.3 

RACHEL CHEUNG (Hongkong) 

21 votes, 21% 

The 19-year-old is going places, having won 5th prize at the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition, and more recently a semi-final appearance at the Chopin Competition. Further prizes in major competitions are expected.

NO.4: LISE DE LA SALLE (France), 

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR (UK), 

ZHANG HAOZHEN (China) (11 votes, 11%)

De la Salle is already established as a concert and recording artist, a very special talent. Young Grosvenor impressed greatly with his recital at the Singapore International Piano Festival, while Zhang's win at thr 2009 Van Cliburn has won him many concert opportunities. The latter's Singapore recital in 2011 will be keenly awaited.

NO.5: NOBUYUKI TSUJII (Japan), 

EDUARD KUNZ (Russia) 9 votes, 9 % 

No.6: JOHN CHEN (New Zealand) 8 votes, 8%

Tsujii was a big winner at the 2009 Cliburn, a triumph of the human spirit over adversity. Kunz and Chen, past winners of piano competitions, are gradually establishing their concert careers.

Thanks for the votes, and look out for the next Pianomania Poll: WHICH IS THE GREATEST PIANO CONCERTO OF THEM ALL?

RACHEL CHEUNG Piano Recital @ The Joy of Music Festival 2006 / Review

RACHEL CHEUNG has just been awarded the 5th Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition 2009. She made history by being the first pianist from Hong Kong to reach the final of this competition. Here is the review of her solo piano recital in 2006 which I wrote for The Flying Inkpot.

RACHEL CHEUNG Piano Recital

@ The Joy of Music Festival 2006

14 December 2006

Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

The Joy of Music. What a great and totally appropriate name for a music festival! TJOM is a 10-day piano-cum-chamber music festival organised by The Chopin Society of Hong Kong, the very same people who inspired the first Hong Kong International Piano Competition held in September 2005. Ambitious, all-encompassing, eclectic and inspirational were just some adjectives that came to mind to describe the scope of this very commendable enterprise that attempted to inject some culture and sanity in a metropolis trapped in the frenzied throes of festive shopping and hyper-commercialisation.

My healthy dose of pre-Christmas musical sustenance began with a solo recital by Hong Kong’s pre-eminent young pianist, 15-year-old Rachel Cheung. She was the 1st prizewinner of the Gina Bachauer Junior Artists Piano Competition in 2004, and her photograph was splashed on the pages of International Piano. In 2005, she also became the youngest pianist ever to give a solo recital at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Was she up to all the hype? Yes, very much so. With a confident stage demeanor, impeccable deportment and totally winning musicianship, Rachel could be described as every piano teacher’s dream.

Beginning her recital with Mozart, the Fantasia in C minor K.396 was characterised more by the polish of the playing rather than sheer interpretive insight. It was more Romantically inclined, with generous use of the sostenuto pedal and not a little rubato. And she does not shy away from making a big sound. 

The Sonata in D major K.576, Mozart’s last, highlighted a fine and fluid technique that found her most comfortable with the running notes in the outer movements. The song-like slow movement “flowed like oil”, but and she could have done more to vary her tonal colour as her well-spun notes remained on much a single plane. It is said that Mozart Sonatas are too easy for amateurs but too difficult for professionals, and Rachel has just about crossed that threshold.

Her Liszt selection posed some questions of balance. Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude (from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses) is one of Liszt’s greatest and most sublime works. In this lush slow extended movement, her right hand filigree was just about ideal, maintaining a finest pianissimo possible while the left hand baritone melody struggled – in vain – against sounding stodgy. Although she managed to bring the work to an impassioned climax, the overall impression was a mixed one. Perhaps she is not totally ready for this piece. The great Claudio Arrau also had similar problems in his recording, so Rachel is in good company.

No ifs or buts in the Two Concert Études, the second of which – Gnomenreigen - received a totally stupendous performance. Staccatissimo e scherzandissimo, Rachel’s goblins are of the supersonic kind, progenitors of the wildest and naughtiest antics, and capable of leaping over Victoria Harbour and IFC 2 (HK's tallest building) in a single bound. I cannot possibly imagine it being better played.

Rachel Cheung with her teacher

Eleanor Wong (right) and Annarosa Taddei.

(Photo taken in December 2007)

The second half showed the same promise. In Schubert’s Three Pieces (Drei Klavierstücke, D.946), she alternated between muscular, big-boned playing and lyrical beauty of the cantabile kind, with all the contrasts well brought out. In the third piece, there was drama and humour, suggesting that she is fully immersed in and has a full measure of Schubert’s idiom. More of the same please.

The obligatory Chopin included Four Mazurkas Op.24, which despite their beguiling simplicity, housed a world of nostalgia and deep-seated emotions. “Cannons in flowers” was Schumann’s aphorism and Rachel did much to reveal their melancholy, mystery and a muted kind of playfulness. 

The large work, Ballade No.4 in F minor (Op.52), however felt too deliberate. Refusing to go headlong into rapturous elaborations of the main theme, Rachel remained on a slow boil throughout until the climactic three chords just before the tumultuous coda. Unfortunately, the tightly wound-up spring had gotten loose and the desired impact had slipped away. She has no problems technically with the piece, but will need to work on its delivery. Like a good stand-up comic, always keep the audience hooked on your story and later slay them with a totally wicked punchline.

The recital proper ended with Poulenc’s Trois Pieces (composer pictured left). Her dreamily impressionistic vision of the languorous Pastorale suggested she might revel in Szymanowski, while the triumphant chords of the Hymne pointed to her probably having heard and enjoyed Poulenc’s Gloria (If not, she ought to!). But it was the sewing-machine prestidigitations of the Toccata that seemed to impress the most – there is hardly any technical difficulty that fazes Rachel – even if the memories of Vladimir Horowitz or Pascal Rogé are not effaced.

There were two encores: a ubiquitous Chinese melody (Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake) and more sewing machine music - Poulenc’s Mouvement perpetuel No.1 - played with the keen spirit and verve that distinguishes the young.

Rachel Cheung is by no means a finished artist. And that is the good news. Her teacher Eleanor Wong is doing a fine, fine job. She will – with the further guidance, inspiration and in her own time – grow and further develop as a musician. The sky’s the limit for her, so it would be a total pleasure to witness her again in three to five years.

Rachel Cheung's début solo recital CD will be issued on the Alpha Omega Music label in October 2009.

Piano Competition Update

Young 18-year-old Singaporean pianist Shaun Choo (left), a student of the Salzburger Mozarteum, has been selected to take part in the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition to be held from 1 to 15 May 2009. 45 pianists will slug it out in four rounds of piano performances, which include a set piece by an Irish composer and a concerto competition finale.

I will never forget Shaun’s performance of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne at the quarter-final stage of the 2007 National Piano & Violin Competition, where he appeared with poise and assurance of someone double his age. His DVD of Chopin’s 24 Préludes Op.28, recorded when he was 16, is simply stunning.

As prodigious teenagers go, his biggest rival will be 18-year-old Rachel Cheung (left) from Hong Kong, already a veteran in piano competitions. She won 1st prize at the 2004 Gina Bachauer International Junior Competition, and recently placed 2nd at the 2008 Casagrande Piano Competition. Not to be underestimated is 18-year-old Jong Hai Park of Korea, who was 2nd at the 2008 Hong Kong International Piano Competition.

At the other end of the age spectrum for competitors, 29-year-old Mei Yi Foo (left) of Malaysia has been selected as one of 24 pianists for the 7th London International Piano Competition (18-28 April 2009). This is probably her last shot at fame in the competition circuit. She was 4th in the 2005 Hong Kong International Piano Competition, and 2nd at the 2008 Maria Callas International Piano Competition (Greece).

Her fellow competitors include Jin Sang Lee (Korea), the most recent winner of the 2008 Hong Kong International Piano Competition, Tatiana Kolesova (Russia) and Ran Dank (Israel), who placed 2nd and 3rd respectively at the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition.

At the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition (29 June – 10 July 2009), Helene Tysman (France, 5th at Hong Kong 2008) and Eric Zuber (USA, 6th at Sydney 2008) will be featuring as is our Russian friend Eduard Kunz (left). This time, however, he goes by the name Eduard Kunts.