The concerts of the Artist Residency Series are the culmination of the participation of tomorrow’s music stars- young and brilliant pianists who come to the festival to work with the artist faculty of Porto Pianofest and prepare for tours, recordings, important concerts, and to make their art known to the world. Six pianists are chosen, from all continents, to perform in a solo recital and share their unique musical ideas with our welcoming audience in Porto.

This single ticket includes entrance to the full day of Artist Residency Concerts for August 8th, with recitals at 18h00 and 19h30. Join us for one concert that evening, or both!

At 18h00, American-Filipino pianist Stephen Joven-Lee will perform an all Rachmaninoff program, including the iconic Sonata no.2.
At 19h30, Korean pianist In-Ae Ha, will be performing works by Bach, Berg, Bartók, and Beethoven. 

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Program Notes from the Artist:

The first pair of preludes that begin the program present both similarity and contrast. They are connected not only by relative keys, but also in the traditional nature of the prelude being an opener to a larger set. The drastic comparison between Baroque and late-Romantic styles complement one another.

The middle of the program, consisting of four preludes and etudes, emulates a large-scale “sonata form”, functioning as a lush 1st movement, slow 2nd movement, scherzo-like 3rd movement, and grande finale 4th movement, with key relations typical of a sonata that allow a connective flow from piece to piece. 

Finally, the Sonata proper brings the concert to a close, showcasing the grandeur of Rachmaninoff’s deeply emotional virtuosity. To quote from the great pianist-composer: “Music comes straight from the heart and talks only to the heart; it is Love. Music is the sister of Poetry, and her mother is Sorrow.”