Boulder Symphony Performs Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Tickets

Boulder Symphony returns to Dairy Arts Center with a show-stopping program. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 is a journey from darkness to light. When writing this piece, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky addressed and overcame his inner demons, as demonstrated through this emotional work of music. Boulder Symphony will also celebrate the winner of the 2023 International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival Competition, Jialin Yao. This young up-and-coming piano soloist will dazzle listeners with incredible virtuosity by performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 accompanied by the Boulder Symphony.

Program
Arturo Márquez, “Conga del Fuego Nuevo”
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30, featuring Jialin Yao, winner of the 2023 International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival Competition
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

About Jialin Yao
Pianist Jialin Yao has been hailed for his “mature, sensitive and polished playing with a serious attitude towards music making and a strong mindset for interpretive details” (Dmitri Alexeev), and he is increasingly recognized for his “natural musicianship as well as his very sophisticated technical skills” (Michel Béroff). His love of bringing warmth, passion, and magic to audiences has led to performances throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Being a multi-dimensional musician, Jialin not only appears on the stage as a chamber musician and collaborator, but is also committed to piano teaching. Currently, he serves as a secondary piano course teacher at the Juilliard School. He is a firm believer that the most moving music can only come from the most open-hearted and truthful human beings.

As a soloist, Jialin is an avid interpreter of a wide range of repertoire. He has performed piano concertos with the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orchestra Academia China, among others. In 2022, he performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3 with Italy Friuli Venezia Giulia Orchestra conducted by Maestro Paolo Paroni at Zancanaro Theatre in Italy. He also performed Mingxin Du’s Piano Concerto No.1 ‘The Elegance of Spring’ with En Shao and Orchestra Academia China in Peking University Hall, which was praised by the composer for Jialin’s ability to bring fresh energy and liveliness to the piece. In the same season, he also performed Mozart’s No.21 Piano Concerto in C K.467 with En Shao and Orchestra Academia China for members of the National Committee in the great hall of China Conservatory, which turned out to be a great success and won tremendous acclaim. In 2018, as a distinguished artist of KNS Classical, Jialin released his first album, Campanella, featuring works including Beethoven, Liszt, Scriabin, Ravel, and Kapustin.

Jialin has been a Prize-winner in numerous competitions such as the Friuli Venezia Giulia International Piano Competition, the Singapore International Piano Competition, the Steinway National Competition, the Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition, the Santa Cecilia International Piano Competition, and many others. In 2022, he was selected to the Soloist program of Verbier Festival Academy as one of eight pianists.

A sensitive and keen chamber musician, Jialin has a wide chamber music repertoire and has performed at Lincoln Center S.Rose Studio and Église de Verbier Station. His chamber music mentors include Emanuel Ax, Jerome Lowenthal, Ronald Copes, Joseph Lin, Ida Kavafian, Augustin Dumay, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Mihaela Martin, and Mathieu Herzog. Jialin’s collaborators include Tarn Travers, Jaewon Wee, Jack Kessler, Stephanie Huang, and Quartets Academia China. In 2022, Jialin and his VIA piano trio were selected for the Juilliard Honors Chamber Music program. With VIA trio, he has played music by Mozart, Dvorak, and Ravel.

Jialin is also an outstanding concert organizer. He established his own orchestra in high school and performed the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto. In 2014, he served as associate music director of the “Training Day” ensemble, leading performances of Les Miserables and Notre Dame de Paris across China, including Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. He also organized and performed a live concert for the opening ceremony of the photographic exhibition Audrey Hepburn in Beijing.

Jialin was born in China in 1999. He began to play piano at the age of 4. In 2011 Jialin entered the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing where he studied with Hong Fu. Since 2020, Jialin has also received guidance from pianist Ruoyu Huang. Jialin currently studies at the Juilliard School in New York with Sergei Babayan.

About Boulder Symphony
Boulder Symphony & Music Academy is dedicated to providing world-class, unique concerts that inspire and enrich the Boulder community. We strive to showcase the talents of our exceptional musicians and present a diverse repertoire that both challenges and delights our audience.

In addition to our concert performances, we are committed to providing high-quality music education classes and private lessons to members of the Boulder community. We believe that music is a powerful force that can bring people together, foster creativity, and enhance personal growth. Through our educational programs, we aim to nurture a love of music in people of all ages and backgrounds and provide opportunities for aspiring musicians to develop their skills.

Our mission is to foster a vibrant and thriving music culture in Boulder, one that celebrates the beauty and power of classical music and creates opportunities for all members of our community to experience its transformative potential. We are dedicated to excellence, innovation, and inclusivity, and we believe that by sharing the joy of music, we can help to build a stronger, more connected community for all.