Helena Piano Recital

Helena Kalviboon Aung is a pianist from Thailand who has recently graduated with her Degree in Bachelor of Music from the University of Arkansas majoring in Piano Performance. She was born in England, raised in Laos and Thailand; during her childhood she found her passion for music. She studied music at Mahidol University, Bangkok in the Pre-College Division at the age at 14. During her time at Mahidol, her main piano teachers were Mr. Sebastien Koch, Dr.Nopanand Chanorathaikul and Dr.Wen-Hui Lily Lin. 

She has participated in numerous piano recitals, piano festivals and piano competitions in Asia, Europe and the USA. During her studies in Arkansas, Helena was aYamaha Young Artist Scholar, Princess Galyani Vadhana Classical Music Foundation Scholar, Stella Boyle Smith Scholar and a Cronan Scholar. During her stay there, Helena gave numerous solo piano recitals and she has also participated in master classes conducted by many great international artists.

PROGRAM NOTES:

J.S. Bach - Toccata in E minor BWV 914: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was of the Baroque period. He was a virtuoso organist who worked most of his life as a Lutheran church musician, and many of his finest works were written for church performances. Written about 1710 it is in four sections – opening allegro, fugato-like passage, adagio and extended fugue.

L.v. Beethoven(1770-1827) - Sonata in E-flat Major op.27 no.1, is often called Quasi Una Fantasia. The sonata from 1800/1801 is laid out in four movements: Andante – Allegro – Andante in 5-part rondo form (ABACA); then Allegro molto e vivace  is a modified Scherzo with a trio.An Adagio con espressione follows in ternary form (ABA) and then the Finale marked Allegro vivace in sonata rondo form (ABACAB).

F. Chopin(1810-1849) - Ballade no.1 op.23 in G minordates from sketches Chopin made in 1831 during his eight-month stay in Vienna. It was completed in 1835 after his move to Paris.

F. Chopin - Ballade no.2 op. 38 in F major, was written sometime between 1836 and 1839 and dedicated to Robert Schumann.

F. Liszt(1811-1886) – ‘Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude’. Harmonies poétiques et religieuses  is a cycle of piano pieces written by Liszt at Woronińce (Voronivtsi, Polish-Ukrainian country estate of Liszt’s mistress Princess Carolyne von Sayn-Wittgenstein), in 1847.

Olivier Messiaen. ‘Premiere Communion de la Vierge’. This work comes from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus a suite of 20 pieces for solo piano by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992). The work is a meditation on the infancy of Jesus. It was composed in 1944, and its full performance requires about two hours. We hear extract No XI tonight.

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