🎶 Master’s Piano Recital – Jie Zhang 🎶
đź“… Date: 31st January 2025
đź•• Time: [To be Announced]
đź“Ť Venue: William Hijstek Concert Hall, Maastricht Conservatorium
🎟 Free Admission
đź•• Time: [To be Announced]
đź“Ť Venue: William Hijstek Concert Hall, Maastricht Conservatorium
🎟 Free Admission
Join pianist Jie Zhang for a captivating evening of piano music as she presents her Master’s recital, featuring works that explore profound emotional depth, technical brilliance, and the evolution of musical language. This program highlights her artistic interpretation and technical mastery, bringing together two composers who each, in their own way, expanded the expressive possibilities of the piano.
Program:
🎼 Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101
A visionary work that stands at the threshold of Beethoven’s late period, Sonata Op. 101 is deeply introspective, lyrical, and structurally innovative. Unlike his earlier sonatas, this work abandons dramatic heroism in favor of a more personal and poetic language. The first movement unfolds with a song-like tenderness, followed by a playful yet mysterious march. The slow movement is profoundly expressive, leading seamlessly into a fugue-driven finale that showcases Beethoven’s mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. This sonata represents a turning point in piano literature, influencing generations of composers with its seamless transitions and organic unity.
A visionary work that stands at the threshold of Beethoven’s late period, Sonata Op. 101 is deeply introspective, lyrical, and structurally innovative. Unlike his earlier sonatas, this work abandons dramatic heroism in favor of a more personal and poetic language. The first movement unfolds with a song-like tenderness, followed by a playful yet mysterious march. The slow movement is profoundly expressive, leading seamlessly into a fugue-driven finale that showcases Beethoven’s mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. This sonata represents a turning point in piano literature, influencing generations of composers with its seamless transitions and organic unity.
🎼 Johannes Brahms – Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118
Written in the twilight of Brahms’ career, these six pieces are among his most intimate and emotionally profound works. Each miniature tells a deeply personal story, reflecting nostalgia, longing, and an autumnal warmth characteristic of Brahms’ late style. The collection opens with the beloved Intermezzo in A minor, a tender and melancholic piece full of subtle harmonic shifts. The Ballade in G minor recalls Brahms’ earlier passion and stormy energy, while the Intermezzos in G minor and F minor embody quiet introspection. The set concludes with the radiant Romanze in F major and the deeply poignant Intermezzo in E-flat minor, a meditation on memory and farewell.
Written in the twilight of Brahms’ career, these six pieces are among his most intimate and emotionally profound works. Each miniature tells a deeply personal story, reflecting nostalgia, longing, and an autumnal warmth characteristic of Brahms’ late style. The collection opens with the beloved Intermezzo in A minor, a tender and melancholic piece full of subtle harmonic shifts. The Ballade in G minor recalls Brahms’ earlier passion and stormy energy, while the Intermezzos in G minor and F minor embody quiet introspection. The set concludes with the radiant Romanze in F major and the deeply poignant Intermezzo in E-flat minor, a meditation on memory and farewell.
About the Recital:
This program represents the culmination of Jie Zhang’s artistic journey at Maastricht Conservatorium. Through these works, she explores the evolving language of piano music—from Beethoven’s forward-looking structures to Brahms’ introspective lyricism and Sauer’s virtuosic Romanticism. The recital promises an evening of deep musical storytelling, where every piece unveils its own world of emotions and ideas.
đź“Ś All are welcome to attend and experience an inspiring evening of piano music!
Past event:Â
🎶 Bachelor’s Final Recital – Jie Zhang 🎶
đź“… Date: 17 June 2024
đź“Ť Venue: William Hijstek Concert Hall, Maastricht Conservatorium
đź“Ť Venue: William Hijstek Concert Hall, Maastricht Conservatorium
Pianist Jie Zhang presented her Bachelor's Final Recital, featuring a diverse and expressive program that spanned the elegance of Classical-era sonatas, the lyricism of Romantic miniatures, and the charm of early 20th-century character pieces. This recital showcased her artistic sensitivity, technical brilliance, and commitment to exploring lesser-known yet captivating repertoire.
Program:
🎼 François Kalkbrenner – Preludes, Op. 88 (Selection)
A selection of exquisite preludes by the 19th-century virtuoso François Kalkbrenner, each capturing a distinct character and mood. These pieces, filled with refined textures and expressive nuance, offered a glimpse into the world of early Romantic piano writing.
•     No. 1 in [Key]
•     No. 4 in C# minor
•     No. 6 in D minor
•     No. 7 in E-flat major
•     No. 9 in E major
•     No. 14 in F# minor
•     No. 17 in A-flat major
A selection of exquisite preludes by the 19th-century virtuoso François Kalkbrenner, each capturing a distinct character and mood. These pieces, filled with refined textures and expressive nuance, offered a glimpse into the world of early Romantic piano writing.
•     No. 1 in [Key]
•     No. 4 in C# minor
•     No. 6 in D minor
•     No. 7 in E-flat major
•     No. 9 in E major
•     No. 14 in F# minor
•     No. 17 in A-flat major
🎼 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Sonata in A major, Wq 59
• Presto – Adagio – Andantino
• Rondo
A vibrant and expressive work by C.P.E. Bach, this sonata exemplifies his signature Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style), filled with sudden contrasts, dynamic shifts, and expressive depth. The three movements traverse lively brilliance, lyrical introspection, and playful charm.
• Presto – Adagio – Andantino
• Rondo
A vibrant and expressive work by C.P.E. Bach, this sonata exemplifies his signature Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style), filled with sudden contrasts, dynamic shifts, and expressive depth. The three movements traverse lively brilliance, lyrical introspection, and playful charm.
🎼 Alfredo Goria – Deuxième Étude de Concert, Op. 8
A stunningly virtuosic piece by Alfredo Goria, blending lyrical expressiveness with dazzling technical flourishes. This Ă©tude is a hidden gem of the Romantic piano repertoire, demanding both finesse and bravura from the performer.
A stunningly virtuosic piece by Alfredo Goria, blending lyrical expressiveness with dazzling technical flourishes. This Ă©tude is a hidden gem of the Romantic piano repertoire, demanding both finesse and bravura from the performer.
🎼 Frank Bridge – Three Sketches
April – A delicate and poetic impression of spring, filled with shimmering harmonies.
Rosemary – A deeply expressive, melancholic piece that evokes nostalgia and longing.
Valse Capricieuse – A whimsical, yet elegant waltz that blends charm with virtuosic flair.
About the Recital:
This program reflected Jie Zhang’s musical curiosity and interpretative depth, bringing together expressive contrasts, stylistic diversity, and technical mastery. From the refined Classicism of C.P.E. Bach to the rich Romantic colors of Kalkbrenner and Goria, and the impressionistic charm of Frank Bridge, the recital offered an intimate and engaging musical journey.