Pianists ready for fall concert
Trevor Hoffmann, left, and Eric Liang will perform at the 13th annual fall piano concert Sunday. Organized by music teacher Dan Wardrope, money raised from the concert goes to World Vision. All the performers are students of Wardrope studying at a Grade 10 or ARCT level with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: November 10, 2009 1:18 PM
To hear Sergei Rachmaninoff’s music is too peep into his soul.
Deep in the throes of depression, the Russian composer literally sank himself into his compositions, painting dark anguished notes that somehow always rose above the despair.
It’s just the kind of emotion that appeals to Trevor Hoffmann, a talented musician who chose Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G minor, Opus 23 No. 5 to play at a master class hosted Thursday by classical pianist Lang Lang.
“The piece played to a lot of my strengths as a pianist,” says Hoffman, 18.
“I love post-Romantic music with big chords and wonderful dynamics that you can really throw yourself at the piano to create.”
Hoffman was one of three students from the Lower Mainland chosen to play for the renowned Chinese pianist.
Each student got a chance to work with Lang Lang once they finished their piece.
“He is probably the most well-known piano player in the world right now,” says Hoffman of Lang Lang, who played to an audience of five billion during the Summer Olympics opening ceremony last year in Beijing.
“Little did I know I’d be performing for him, getting to shake his hand and hug him,” Hoffman says in disbelief.
Hoffman, a Maple Ridge resident, is a first-year student at Douglas College on a full entrance Piano Performance scholarship. He plans to major in composition and continue his studies in music at UBC.
Just out of high school, Hoffman has also written scores for short films and documentaries that have received screen time throughout Canada as well as solo piano works.
He has shared the stage with several world-class pianists including multiple Grammy award winner Johnny Fairchild.
But working with Lang Lang is perhaps the highlight of his nascent career.
“He really tried to grasp more of the character of the piece,” says Hoffman.
Prelude in G minor, Opus 23 No. 5 is very Russian, very military-like and almost sounds like a marching band, he explains.
“[Lang Lang] showed me some really interesting ways to associate with that and bring that out. It really did affect my performance, the types of characters and emotions I was able to bring out in it,” Hoffman adds.
“He just opened my mind to all these new ideas and possibilities.”
Audiences will get a chance to hear Hoffman play the Rachmaninoff prelude on Sunday at the 13th annual fall concert organized by Maple Ridge’s Dan Wardrope ( A member of the Royal Conservatory College of Examiners with two degrees in piano pedagogy).
“It just makes sense to play the same piece,” says Hoffman, adding he’ll have Lang Lang’s voice in his head, guiding his fingers and feet.
Young talent showcase
Eric Liang admits he likes complicated oeuvres.
It’s the reason he picked Prelude in C Sharp Minor, Op.3, No.2 – one of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s most famous composition.
And I just enjoy playing this piece, says the 14-year-old Thomas Haney student who is currently studying piano at a Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 10 level.
It starts of very soft in pianissimo and gradually builds up to an agitato and has a very powerful ending, a fortissimo.
“It got very big chords and a real joy to play,” Liang says.
He Liang will join 11 other pianist on Sunday at the 13th annual fall concert that raises money for World Vision.
Other performers: Jordan Henderson, Jillian Reimer, Claire Oliverio, Aimee Oliverio, Justin Dekker, Timothy Cho, Eliza Lim, Alison Lim, Audrey Zhang and Brandon Lim.
The programs will feature Chopin, a Canadian composer Dela, an American composer Barber, two Spanish works by Falla and Albeniz, two duets, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Liszt.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. at the Swan-e-Set Golf Course in Pitt Meadows.
Tickets are $12 and include light refreshments during intermission. Tickets must be ordered in advance as the event is sold out every year. For tickets, call Dan Wardrope at 604-818-8853.
v2
