Young prodigies perform at Shandelee Sunset Concert Series

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The Shandelee Music Festival will celebrate its 13th Annual Music Festival from August 6 through August 20 at the festival grounds on J Young Road. The festival offers a unique classical piano performance program dedicated to the specific needs of exceptional pianists.

Pianists chosen to attend this year’s festival are Benjamin Kim from Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, MD; Esther Keel from the Juilliard School, New York City; Ja Yeon Kang from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London, UK; Stephanie Wu from the Juilliard School; Annabell Suh from the Pingry School, Warren, NJ; Katsura Tanikawa, graduate from the Juilliard School; Karali Soderquist from Brigham Young University, Provo, UT; and Markus Ling from the Preparatory Division of the Mannes School, West Nyack.

The students will study with a distinguished artist faculty. Ruth Slen-czynska began giving piano recitals by the age of four. She stood in for Sergei Rachmaninov when he was unable to perform, and he was quoted as saying she is “the most talented person I know.” The New York Times wrote she was “the most remarkable child prodigy since Mozart.” Slen-czynska can be described as being the last great master of 20th-century piano performing.

Yong Hi Moon performs widely as a solo performer, a concerto soloist with orchestras in U.S., Japan and Korea, and is currently a member of the piano faculty at Peabody Conservatory of Music. She has won numerous prizes in international competitions and made her debut with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra this past year as well as the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea.

Nina Svetlanova gained international recognition as a recitalist and a soloist with orchestra, and her pedagogy and master-class positions mark her as one of the keystones of piano teaching and style worldwide. She has been featured on radio station WQXR, and has been a long-time faculty member at the Mannes College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

All Sunset Concerts take place in the Shandelee Music Festival Sunset Concert Pavilion, which is wheelchair accessible, and are followed by special dessert receptions. Seating is limited and reservations are required.

For more information visit www.shandelee.org or call 845/439-3277.

Schedule of concerts

Tuesday, August 8 at 8:00 p.m.

Evening of Chamber Music, Jupiter Chamber Players

Thursday, August 10 at 8:00 p.m.

Allen Yueh, Solo Piano

Saturday, August 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Christiana Pegoraro, SOLD OUT

Tuesday, August 15 at 8:00 p.m.

Susanne Stanzeleit, Violin; Yong Hi Moon, Piano

Thursday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m.

International Artists of Shandelee

Saturday, August 19 at 8:00 p.m.

International Artists of Shandelee