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Schedule

Wednesday, December 13, 2023
7:30 p.m. Performance

Lauded by Fanfare Magazine for her “technical prowess,” “subtlety,” and “flair,” pianist Yan Shen joins Asia Society Texas for a solo recital performance — featuring classical pieces by Frédéric Chopin and Claude Debussy and modern works by Tan Dun and Jianzhong Wang — that explores the complex and century-long conversation between European and Chinese composers.

About the Artist

Fanfare Magazine has lauded Yan Shen’s performance on her solo album FANTASY|SONATA|ELEGY for its “bravura,” “flair,” “subtlety,” “clarity,” “intellectual curiosity,” “sensitivity,” and “technical prowess.”

Formerly a tenured piano faculty member of the Guang Zhou Conservatory of Music, China (2005 – 2010), Yan Shen holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano and Artist Diploma in Solo Piano Performance from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where she works. She is currently also a resident artist of the Hong Kong Metropolitan Orchestra, on the piano faculty of Hong Kong International Concerto/Ensemble Competition and Festival, and is a distinguished Shigeru Kawai Artist.

As a prize winner, Dr. Shen has performed solo and chamber recitals internationally, including at Carnegie Hall, Xing Hai Concert Hall, Wu Han Concert Hall, Qing Dao Concert Hall, Changsha Concert Hall, Hunan Concert Hall, Fujian Concert Hall China; and Hong Kong City Hall. She has played numerous music festivals including the Texas Music Festival, the Bellas Artes Music festival, the “Polyphony” Music Festival in France, the Basel Music Festival in Switzerland, and the Olympic Music Festival in Korea. Her collaborations with leading concert artists and ensembles include work with David Campbell, Eric Varner, Sydney Carlson, Marie Pallot, Lyda Chen-Argerich, Vagram Saradjian, Shuhan Ye, and musicians from the Houston Symphony, Houston Opera, and Houston Ballet.

Website

Performing Arts and Culture programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Syamal and Susmita Poddar. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, Houston Endowment Inc., and Mid-America Arts Alliance. Generous funding also provided by The Anchorage Foundation of Texas, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts. Additional support is by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing exceptional programming to Asia Society Texas.

Performing Arts and Culture Presenting Sponsors

Syamal and Susmita Poddar

Performing Arts and Culture Program Sponsors

Piano Sponsored by Kawai Piano Gallery

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.