Pianist Kwan Yi to perform Liszt’s masterpiece at UA Little Rock
Audiences can embark on a musical journey through Italy when pianist Dr. Kwan Yi visits the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for Virtuoso Piano: Years of Pilgrimage.
Hosted by Linda Holzer, University Professor of Music, the recital will feature Franz Liszt’s masterpiece “Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie,” a collection of piano works inspired by the poetry of Francesco Petrarch, the writings of Dante Alighieri, and the art of Raphael and Michelangelo.
The program includes Liszt’s “Après une lecture de Dante,” also known as the Dante Sonata, which draws on the dramatic imagery of Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno,” the first part of the “Divine Comedy” narrative poem. Through the music, audiences will experience a range of expression, from the intimacy of love poetry to the intensity of Dante’s vision of the afterlife.
“Come hear one of the greatest piano works of the Romantic era performed live and experience a musical journey,” Holzer said. “Prepare to be transported as Liszt transforms the art and literature of Italy into some of the most expressive and technically demanding music ever composed for piano.”
Yi, an associate professor of piano at the East Carolina University School of Music, last performed at UA Little Rock in 2018 and has built a career that includes appearances as a soloist with the Russian National Orchestra and Houston Symphony Orchestra, along with performances at venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. He’s been featured in the Carnegie Hall Presents and Peoples’ Symphony Concert series. In addition to performing, he has released a solo album and chamber music albums.
Floyd Martin, professor emeritus of art history, will present a pre-concert lecture titled “The Art Behind Liszt’s ‘Années de pèlerinage, BK. 2’” at 7 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. The lecture will explore the 19th-century European pilgrimage to Italy and how the paintings and frescoes Liszt encountered during his travels inspired the music he composed. Yi’s recital will follow at 7:30 p.m. in the same venue. Both events are free and open to the public.