Romantic Dialogues for Cello and Piano
Li-Wei Qin × Albert Tiu
Zhuhai Huafa Zhongyan Grand Theatre — Mozart Hall · December 9, 2023
Guangzhou Opera House — Grand Theatre · December 7–8, 2023
Overview
A dialogue between sensitivity and strength — cellist Li-Wei Qin and pianist Albert Tiu unite for a program that traverses the Romantic soul from Schubert and Schumann to the expressive modernism of Shostakovich, culminating with the Chinese contemporary masterpiece Lin Chong by composer Fang Dongqing.
As one of the world’s leading cellists, Qin is celebrated for his “ravishingly beautiful tone, flawless intonation, and ironclad technique” (The New York Times). His partner at the piano, Albert Tiu, hailed by Fanfare as “a captivatingly imaginative pianist,” brings both brilliance and introspection — together forming a musical partnership of poetic chemistry.
About “Lin Chong”
Composed in 2009, Lin Chong draws inspiration from the Water Margin legend of the same name — a tragic hero forced into rebellion. Written for cello and piano, it fuses Western sonorities with Chinese melodic writing, unfolding in three vivid scenes:
Snow Tramping, Slaughter, and Night Escape.
The work won First Prize at the 2010 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival Composition Competition. With its dramatic narrative and emotionally charged textures, Lin Chong has become a landmark in Chinese contemporary cello repertoire.
Program
Program (Guangzhou · Dec 7–8, 2023)
Franz Schubert — Arpeggione Sonata, D.821
Robert Schumann — Adagio and Allegro, Op.70
— Intermission —
Fang Dongqing — Lin Chong
(Three movements: Snow Tramping · Slaughter · Night Escape)
Dec 7: Shostakovich — Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op.40
Dec 8: Mendelssohn — Cello Sonata No.2 in D Major, Op.58
Program (Zhuhai · Dec 9, 2023)
Franz Schubert (1797–1828) — Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D.821
I. Allegro moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegretto
Robert Schumann (1810–1856) — Adagio and Allegro, Op.70
— Intermission —
Fang Dongqing (b.1978) — Lin Chong
I. Snow Tramping
II. Slaughter
III. Night Escape
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) — Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op.40
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Allegro
III. Largo
IV. Allegro
Artists
Li-Wei Qin — Cello
Praised by The New York Times for “a ravishingly beautiful tone, flawless intonation, and ironclad technique,” Li-Wei Qin is one of today’s foremost cellists. A laureate of the Tchaikovsky and Naumburg competitions, he has performed with orchestras including the London Symphony, BBC Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, under conductors such as Ashkenazy and Yu Long. His recordings on Decca, Universal, and Sony Classical have garnered international acclaim. Qin is Professor of Cello at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.
Albert Tiu — Piano
Philippine-born pianist Albert Tiu is praised for his “extraordinary ability to illuminate and enthrall” (American Record Guide). Winner of the UNISA International Competition, he has appeared with orchestras such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Finnish Radio Symphony. His recordings on Centaur and Deccainclude Beethoven Cello Sonatas and Rachmaninoff Works with Li-Wei Qin. Tiu is Head of Piano Studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.