The Chicago Chopin Society presents

A Celebration of Polish Composers

A Series of Four Concerts - "Music for (all) Hours"

This is the first concert in the series, presenting the breadth of Polish music in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Polish Composers' Union. Each pianist will present a composer of their choice as well as pieces from Jaroslaw Golembiowski's collection "24 Preludes: Music for Hours." The collections showcase arrangements of moods and styles, offering listeners, a unique journey through hours of light in darkness.

The first featured pianist is May Phang.

Pay at the door, checks payable to The Chicago Chopin Society.

Praised by critics and audiences for her imaginative programming and compelling performances, pianist May Phang enjoys discovering and performing a wide range of repertoire from Bach and Liszt to Libby Larsen and Alexina Louie. Described as “vibrant”, “colorful”, and “evocative,” May strives to deeply understand and bring fresh insights into the masterpieces of composers such as Beethoven and Chopin while equally committed to discovering and championing the works of today’s living composers. She premiered the works of Armando Bayolo, Jaroslaw Golembiowski and Geoffrey Gordon, and also worked with composers such as Aaron Jay Kernis and Joan Tower. Her 2013 debut CD Travels through Time featured works centered around Mark Twain’s satirical A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Her recent recording of Beethoven's masterpiece, the Diabelli Variations (Centaur Records, 2021) is available for purchase and streaming online.

In addition to her solo work, May Phang is also an avid chamber musician. Recent collaborations include the José White Quartet, the Philomusica Quartet, the Amernet Quartet and the Percussion Plus Ensemble.

Performances as soloist and chamber musician have taken her to venues such as the Goethe Institute in Bangkok, Tianjin Conservatory Concert Hall in China, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Chapelle historique du Bon Pasteur and Place-des-Arts in Montreal, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kennedy Center for the Arts and National Gallery in Washington DC, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Detroit Institute of Art, and to festivals such as the Singapore Festival of Arts, the Montreal International Piano Festival, the Karol Szymanowski Festival in Zakopane, Poland, and the Festival de Música de Cámara de Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Solo performances with orchestras include the Banff Chamber Players, Singapore Symphony, Montreal Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Competition prizes include the Chopin Young Pianists' Competition in Buffalo NY, Canadian Music Competition, Concours d'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and Pontoise International Young Artists Competition in France. Radio and television appearances include profiles on Singapore Broadcasting Corporation's "Life and Times" and "Arts Around" and broadcasts on Radio-Canada, Vermont Public Radio, WFLN, Philadelphia, Wisconsin Public Radio, and WFMT, Chicago.

Currently Professor of Piano at DePauw University, Indiana, and former John Rabb Emison Professor of Creative and Performing Arts, her prior teaching positions include Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. A former teaching artist with Young Audiences of Indiana, and artist faculty at Interharmony Italy, May continues to frequently adjudicate competitions and present masterclasses nationally and internationally.

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