World Keys

William Bolcom (Composer), Qigang Chen (Composer), Halim El-Dabh (Composer), Franz Liszt (Composer), Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Ahmed Adnan Saygun (Composer), Robert Schumann (Composer), Peter Sculthorpe (Composer), Dia Succari (Composer), Peteris Vasks (Composer), Joel Fan (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Joel Fan
• Composer: William Bolcom, Qigang Chen, Halim El-Dabh, Franz Liszt, Sergey Prokofiev, et al.
• Audio CD (June 13, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reference Recordings
• ASIN: B000FII2G6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #97,590 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"A soaring talent." -LOS ANGELES TIMES "A superb pianist." -BOSTON GLOBE "A versatile and sensitive pianist – an impressive talent." -WASHINGTON POST

Debut album of outstanding young talent Joel Fan, known for his recordings and performances with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project. World Keys features rip-roaring performances of crowd-pleasing Schumann, Liszt, and Prokofiev works along with world-premiere recordings of important works by international composers. Fan was a prizewinner of several international competitions, such as the D’Angelo Young Artists International Competition in the U.S. and Italy’s Busoni International Competition. The National Foundation for the Arts even named him a Presidential Scholar. In recent seasons, Fan has been performing as a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, and is featured on the recent award-winning Sony Classical release of music from the Project. Chinese composer Qigang Chen was born in 1951 and started learning music from childhood. When the "Cultural Revolution" broke out in China, he was studying at the Music Middle School of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing! . His father, administrator of the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, famous calligrapher and painter, was immediately judged "bourgeois" and "antirevolutionary" and sent to a labor camp. Young Qigang Chen was kept in confinement for three years and underwent "ideological re-education." Yet, his passion for music remained unwavering: he went on learning composition and scoring in spite of social and political anti-cultural pressure. In the mid-eighties, he was given a state grant to study with Olivier Messiaen in France. He became Messiaen’s only pupil after the famous composer left the Paris Conservatory. In 2003, Virgin Classics issued the first recording of his orchestral music. Born in Tasmania in 1929, Peter Sculthorpe has become Australia’s most eminent classical composer, and his works are regularly performed and recorded throughout the world. Likewise, Peteris Vasks (b. 1946) is the most eminent serious composer in his native land, Latvia, and his works have been widely performed and recorded. William Bolcom (b. 1938) is one of America’s most popular and honored composers, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1988.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars magical debut album, June 13, 2006

By	tres "olives" (Boston) - See all my reviews

Ten thumbs up! I have to say I was hesitant at first when I saw the lineup of composers & pieces I'd never heard of, but I have rarely enjoyed a new classical music album as much as Fan's. The album is dramatic, bold, and poetic, with sweeping musical ideas, the wonder of new pieces from faraway lands, and a shimmering palette of tones. Fan's playing is not only exuberant & elegant; he also has an impeccable technique. From the classics, I particularly loved his interpretation of the Prokofiev Sonata.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent CD, June 18, 2006

By	K. Gans (NY, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this to be one of the best instrumental CD's I've heard in a very long time. The playing, the compositions, the production values make this a CD I will listen to for years to come. I simply love it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very impressive, June 13, 2006

By	Adam Epstein (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Really a tour de force. I loved the range and variety of pieces, all performed with such a skilled, knowing touch. Just terrific. I'm looking forward to hearing what Fan does next!