Esther Park and Sun-A Park
will perform Sunday, March 24, for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Piano Series.
The two sisters and pianists, who perform as Duo Amadeae, will be playing duo — one piano, four hands, says Distinguished Professor of Piano and Artist-in-Residence Yakov Kasman, DMA, a Van Cliburn medalist, who directs the series.
“Both are amazing pianists,” Kasman said. “The UAB Piano Series presented Esther Park several years ago, and now we are very much looking forward to her recital together with her sister. They will perform a program they call ‘Americana’ presenting the music of three American composers and closing their recital with the most famous and beautiful ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by Gershwin.”
The UAB Piano Series, which brings the world’s finest pianists to Birmingham, is presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music. Performances are held in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
The performance will be at 4 p.m., in the Alys Stephens Center’s Reynolds-Kirschbaum Concert Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 for students through grade 12 and UAB employees; free to UAB students. Visit AlysStephens.org or call 205-975-2787 for tickets.
On the program are “Snazzy Sonata” by Judith Lang Zaimont, “Souvenirs,” Op. 28 by Samuel Barber, “Cuban Overture” by George Gershwin, “A Foggy Day (In London Town)” from “A Damsel in Distress” by Gershwin and arranged by Logan Skelton, “The Man I Love” from “Lady, Be Good!/Strike Up the Band,” and “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin.
Together the award-winning Park sisters have performed in the United States, Germany and South Korea and are enjoying both their solo and duo careers internationally. They formed Duo Amadeae in 2014, according to their artists’ statement. Winner of the Chicago International Duo Piano Competition, Duo Amadeae have performed at such prestigious venues as Chicago Cultural Center and Konzert Saal at the Hochschule für Musik, Munich, among others.
Both Esther and Sun-A received have international recognition in several competitions, including first prizes at the 61st Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition in New York and top prizes at the 5th International Sendai Music Competition in 2013; Jose Roca Piano Competition in Valencia, Spain, in 2013; 58th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in 2011; Paderewski International Piano Competition; and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As active performers, the two pianists perform recitals at major venues in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. Concerto engagements include the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic, San Marino Republic Orchestra, Orchester Haydn, New Jersey Symphony, Albany Symphony, and the Symphonic Orchestra of Castilla y León under the direction of such conductors as Neeme Jarvi, Eiji Oue, Arthur Hagen, Krzysztof Urbanski, Alastair Willis and Murry Sidlin.
The duo’s broad musical interests allow them to move with ease between concertos, recitals and chamber music, enjoying appearances at important venues around the world. The duo divides time between Georgia and Florida, as Esther is associate professor of piano at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University and Sun-A is assistant professor of piano at the University of Central Florida.