University of Texas at Austin Alumni Music Concert

[PERFORMANCE INTRODUCTION] University of Texas at Austin Alumni Concert The University of Texas at Austin Alumni Concert brings together Korean musicians who have studied at a world-renowned music institution to share their musical bonds and artistic achievements on one special stage. This concert, featuring alumni performers who are actively working in diverse fields, goes beyond a simple alumni recital to present a broad artistic spectrum created by the harmonious blend of different musical backgrounds and experiences. It is designed to deliver profound emotional resonance and rich musical experiences to audiences. In particular, the program—featuring a diverse range of instrumental and vocal works, solos and chamber music, as well as opera and musical numbers—represents a meaningful occasion demonstrating how the musical connections and academic exchanges originating from the University of Texas at Austin have matured into vibrant artistic endeavors today. This concert brings together musicians recognized as educators and performers on major stages both domestically and internationally. Violinist Kyungju Sung is a performer who has cultivated deep musicality and an impressive performance career through studies at Seoul National University and abroad in America and Europe, showcasing a wide repertoire through collaborations with prestigious orchestras at home and abroad. Currently serving as an associate professor at Kangwon National University and music director of the string ensemble The Bridge, she balances mentoring students with her performance activities. Violinist Haeni Lee is a performer who has excelled on the international stage through studies at Indiana University and the University of Texas at Austin, earning recognition for her outstanding performance skills through numerous international competition awards and participation in world-class music festivals. Currently serving as leader of the Risus Quartet, she continues active work in chamber music. Cellist Seungse Kim received professional music education at the Korean National University of Arts, New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of Texas at Austin, building a broad musical world through contemporary music and orchestra performances both in Korea and abroad. Currently serving as an adjunct professor at Sejong University Conservatory, she balances teaching and performance. Tenor Jungmin Wi is a vocalist actively performing across opera and concert stages, having taken major roles in various opera productions domestically and internationally, earning recognition for his excellent musicality and commanding stage presence. Currently serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Music at Sejong University, he continues active performances alongside his teaching. Soprano Hannah Lee is a vocalist garnering worldwide attention through major domestic and international competition victories and invitations to international opera festivals, enjoying consistent appreciation for her profound musical interpretation and refined expressiveness. She has been building her unique artistic world through French art song album releases and invitations to international recitals. Additionally, pianists Seungri Choi and Bora Joo, who are active on both domestic and international stages with outstanding collaborative abilities and musical sensibility, add completeness to the performance. After receiving professional accompaniment training at Juilliard and the University of Texas at Austin, Seungri Choi has established himself as an internationally renowned collaborative pianist through international competition victories and his Lincoln Center debut, while Bora Joo continues active work on diverse performance stages and in educational settings based on her refined musicality and stable ensemble sense. The program is also structured to showcase the musical individuality and capabilities of each performer in diverse ways. Part I begins with Sergei Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 2 Op.17 for Two Pianos, an impressive work featuring the brilliant sonority and rich colors created by two pianos, harmonizing Rachmaninoff's characteristic romantic lyricism with brilliant technique. This is followed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Violin Sonata No.32 in B-flat Major, K.454, where violin and piano function as equal partners in close coordination, engaging in elegant yet profound musical dialogue. Robert Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Op.129 captures the cello's characteristic human tone color and romantic sentiment, offering refined sensitivity and abundant lyrical beauty. Finally, Johannes Brahms' Violin Sonata No.1 in G Major, Op.78 is a work showcasing Brahms' characteristic warm lyricism and deep introspection, allowing audiences to experience intense romantic sentiment through the intimate interplay between violin and piano. Part II expands the concert's atmosphere through more diverse instrumentation and genres. Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.49 is a masterpiece of chamber music where classical structural beauty and romantic passion harmonize exquisitely, allowing audiences to experience the intimate ensemble coordination and brilliant musical energy of three performers. The opera and musical aria segment then unfolds the vocalists' broad expressiveness and dramatic stage presence. Jacques Offenbach's "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" from the opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann is a beloved duet cherished for its beautiful melody and fantastical atmosphere, while Carlisle Floyd's "The Trees on the Mountain" from the opera Susannah is a representative American opera aria conveying lyrical sentiment with profound emotional depth. Furthermore, Igor Stravinsky's "Here I stand" from The Rake's Progress and Leonard Bernstein's "Tonight" from the musical West Side Story brilliantly conclude the performance with dramatic tension and rich emotional expression. This concert is a special occasion where alumni musicians recognized for their musical capabilities and active throughout the world come together on one stage to share their artistic experiences and musical language. This performance, combining the traditional beauty and contemporary sensibility of classical music with harmoniously blended different genres and instrumentation, will provide audiences with a richer and more meaningful musical experience through profound empathy between performers and the power of ensemble. [PROGRAM] Part I S. Rachmaninoff - Suite No. 2 Op. 17 for Two Pianos W.A. Mozart - Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454 R. A. Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, Op.129 J. Brahms - Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 Part II F. Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 J. Offenbach - Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour from Opera 'Les Contes d'Hoffmann' C. Floyd - The Trees on the Mountain from Opera 'Susannah' I. Stravinsky - Here I stand from Opera 'The Rake's Progress' L. Bernstein - Tonight from Musical 'West Side Story'