Pianist Chengcheng Ma Recital at Merkin Hall
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
New York Premiere — Ketty Nez: suite française (2024)
Inspired by the ornate keyboard language of French Baroque master François Couperin, Nez’s suite française is a vibrant, modern reflection on Baroque elegance, interlacing Couperin’s motifs with her own rich harmonic and textural imagination. Following its world premiere in Bismarck, ND, and Boston premiere at First Church Boston, Merkin Hall hosts the work’s highly anticipated New York debut.
Chopin: Twelve Études, Op. 10
Among the most iconic works in piano literature, Chopin’s Op. 10 Études fuse revolutionary technical design with profound poetic expression. Ma performs the complete set, showcasing his broad tonal palette and expressive virtuosity.
Rodney Lister: Many’s the Time I’ve Seen Her Nude at the Piano (1990)
A dazzling, virtuosic “modern toccata,” Lister’s piece—rarely performed due to its staggering difficulty—receives a brilliant revival through Ma’s advocacy. Lister, who wrote the work for pianist Kathleen Supove, praises Ma for bringing the piece vividly back to life.
Liszt: Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
Liszt’s dramatic “Dante Sonata” transforms visions from Dante’s Divine Comedy into a monumental pianistic journey from inferno to transcendence.
Zhao Zhang: Hua Yi Dance for Piano Four-Hands (2014)
Joined by distinguished pianist and cultural leader Yimiao Fang, Ma closes the recital with Zhao’s exuberant four-hands work inspired by the rhythms and spirit of the Yi ethnic traditions of China.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3372780-0
