Hailed by The New York Times as, “bracing, fearless” and “a powerhouse” whose playing “combine[s] youthful abandon with utter command”, pianist George Li makes his eagerly awaited 92Y debut in a tantalizing program of Romantic masterworks.

Beginning with Schumann’s poetic, poignant Arabeske and continuing with the passionate, tumultuous Fantasie, both pieces are reflections of different aspects of Schumann’s ardor for his soon-to-be wife, Clara. Schumann dedicated the Fantasie to Franz Liszt, and Liszt returned the favor in the famous Sonata, an ideal showcase for Li’s remarkable breadth of color and his perfectly-honed sense of architecture. A new work by the Chinese composer Qigang Chen, based on themes from Peking opera, rounds out this exciting debut performance.

Program
Schumann Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18
Schumann Fantasie in C Major, Op. 19
Qigang Chen Instants d’un opera de Pekin
Liszt Sonata in B Minor, S. 178