Society＆Meditation

Recital for Cello and Piano

17 April 2017 (Mon)

Project Overview

“Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see andfew can feel. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.”- Niccolò Machiavelli

We live in a society starved of solitude, silence and privacy. Therefore, a moment of self-reflection and meditation is of utmost importance in man’s day-to-day life.In reality, meditation is not an act of doing; it is a state of thoughtless awareness. Deep reflective thought allows us to re-shape our mind and create our own reality while bringing peace within ourselves. It breaks down and dissolves any negativity that may have been holding us back. When we achieve this inner peace, a purer form of happiness will emerge from within, even under the most difficult and dramatic circumstances.

Music is a practical manoeuvre, a discipline in which true artists remake and replenish themselves perpetually. High concentration and technical perfection play a big part of artistic projection and perception, but the “soul” remains the commander of every act. Artistry grows, and is cultivated, encouraged, fostered and emphasized with the maturity of soul. In an organic manner, meditation improves the quality of our life and musicianship. By stepping back, our mind sees clearer visions and we rediscover new details. Cognitive awareness is indeed more subtle and difficult to achieve than physical awareness. Yet, mindfulness and awareness of our thoughts and sensations will allow us to stay in “now” and “here”, away from every other distraction, and only by then could we fully utilize our technical and creative potentials.
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The recital tells the story of growth: it metamorphoses from the purity and innocence in Cinderella, to the awakened answer to life in Peer Gynt, after living through the most adventurous episodes yet arriving at exhaustion and emptiness. We sincerely invite you to take up any valuable chance to practice mindfulness in addition to other daily necessities. On personal, social and historical levels, may we all be at peace when dealing with uncertainty, and readily find ourselves when we get lost.

SOCIETY
‍Sergei Prokofiev
Adagio from the ballet "Cinderella" for cello and piano, op. 97 bis

Dmitri Shostakovich
Sonata for cello and piano in d minor, Op. 40

‍MEDITATION
‍Witold Lutoslawski
Grave: Metamorphoses for cello and piano
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Arvo Pärt
Spiegel im Spiegel
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Alfred Schnittke
Epilogue from the ballet "Peer Gynt" for cello, piano and chorus (on recording)

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PROGRAMME

Helen Cha - piano
Kilian Chan - cello

Download House Poster

Download House Programme

Helen Chan

Piano

Currently the Music Director of Musica del Cuore and Artist-In-Residence at Academia de Musica S Pio X, Helen Cha has given concerts in the USA, UK, Italy, Belarus, Moldova, South Korea and mainland China. She has performed under the baton of Yip Wai-hong, Yip Wing-sie, Mikhail Sechkin, Takuo Yuasa, Neil Varon, Emil de Cou and Patrick Souillot, among others. Awards she has won included top prizes at the Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition Open Class (2002), Piano Texas Concerto Competition (2006), Eastman School Concerto Competition (2007) and Thousand Islands International Chopin Competition (2009).

Helen earned the Performer's Certificate and her Doctorate of Musical Arts with Professor Nelita True at Eastman School of Music upon the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund. She is a regular adjudicator at local and international piano competitions, and was a presenter of RTHK Radio 4 programme Chamber Fragrance, Debussy Recollection and Non-Stop Classic.