The University at Albany
Department of Music is pleased to present pianists Sarah and Susan Wang on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7pm in
the Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center on the uptown campus. The program will include Richard Rodney Bennett’s “Lilliburlero
Variations for Two Pianos,” Amy Beach’s “Suite for Two Pianos” based on “Old
Irish Tunes” Op. 104, Franz Schubert’s “Variations on an Original Theme” in A flat
Major D. 813, George Gershwin’s “Three Songs for Two Pianos” as arranged by
Paul Posnak and Maurice Ravel’s “La Valse for Two Pianos.”
Twin sisters Susan and Sarah
Wang were born and raised in Ridgewood,
New Jersey. They began their
piano studies at the age of seven with Dmitry Rachmanov at the Manhattan School
of Music Preparatory Division. In 2005, they each received their bachelor’s
degree for piano performance under Louis Nagel at the University of Michigan
and, in 2007; they received their master’s degree for piano performance from
the Manhattan School of Music where they studied with Marc Silverman. Both are
currently enrolled in a unique program for duo piano performance at the
Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock, Germany under
the tutelage of Hans-Peter and Volker Stenzl.
In March of 2008, the Wangs
won second prize at the prestigious Murray Dranoff International Two Piano
Competition becoming the first American team to have reached the finals of this
competition in more than a decade. They have also won second place in the 2003
Ellis National Duo Competition and first place in the 2004 Concerto Competition
at the University
of Michigan.
The twins performed their New York piano duo debut
concert in December of 1998 at Cooper Union. Together with their high school’s
percussionists, they also participated in the 17th Annual Young
Musicians Concert at Alice Tully Hall sponsored by The Chamber Music Society of
Lincoln Center on April 18, 2000, performing the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos
and Percussion. The Wangs have also appeared in performances at Hill Auditorium
in Ann Arbor; Weill Recital Hall and Steinway Hall in New York; the Bard Music
Festival; Katharinensaal in Rostock, Germany; Adamant Music School’s Waterside
Hall; Lincoln Theatre in Miami and Middlebury College Center in Vermont. They
have recorded for Vermont Public Radio and the NDR Radio Station in Hamburg and have been broadcast in New York’s Classical Radio Station WQXR.
Both are recipients of
numerous scholarships and grants including the Valerie B. Schwarz Grant from
the Salon de Virtuosi program in 2001 and the Theodore Presser Scholarship at Michigan in 2004. Their
performances with orchestras include the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos with
the University of
Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra
under Kenneth Kiesler in 2004 and the Mozart Concerto in Eb, K. 365 with the
Manhattan Preparatory Symphony Orchestra under James Sadewhite in 1998.
Tickets are $10 for the general
public, $8 for seniors & UAlbany faculty/staff and $5 for students and
may be purchased through the Performing Arts Center Box Office. For further information, contact the Box Office
at (518) 442-3997 or visit the Performing Arts Center website at www.albany.edu/pac.
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