Pianist Haochen Zhang Makes his Washington Orchestral Debut, He and Conductor both Child Prodigies, to Perform Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Concerto

Bethesda, MD (March 16, 2015) — The National Philharmonic welcomes Haochen Zhang, the award-winning 24-year-old Chinese pianist, as he makes his Washington, D.C. orchestral debut under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski. Both former child prodigies, Zhang and Gajewski present a dazzling program: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, and with Zhang’s solo the ultimate Romantic piano concerto, Piano Concerto No. 3 by Rachmaninoff. Performances will be held on Saturday, March 28 at 8pm and on Sunday, March 29 at 3pm at the Music Center at Strathmore. Preceding the performance, a free lecture on the history and nuances of the program will be offered in the Concert Hall. Ticket prices start at $28 and are free for children ages 7 to 17 (please call or visit the Strathmore Box Office to reserve). Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.nationalphilharmonic.org or call 301.581.5100.

In an interesting twist, both Zhang and the Philharmonic’s Music Director and Conductor Gajewski are former child prodigies. Zhang performed Bach’s two-part inventions at Shanghai Music Hall at the age of 5, became the youngest and first Chinese competitor to win the gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, and has since been captivating audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with his unique blend of deep musical sensitivity, imagination, and virtuosity. He now trains with the same teacher, Gary Graffman, who coaches fellow piano virtuosos Lang Lang, Lydia Artymiw and more. Gajewski also began his musical career by playing piano at the age of 4 and by the age of 14, he was conducting orchestras.  At the age of 17 he conducted Capriccio Espagnol (the second work on the program) at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina.

 

“Back then, I thought that young performers could just get by on talent, but soon I realized that hard work and dedication is much more important in building a career,” said Gajewski. “Zhang brings all of these qualities to his playing and I am pleased to be able to present him with the Philharmonic at Strathmore. I very much look forward to working with him.”

 

The centerpiece of the program is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The New York Times describes this piece as “like a vast Russian novel…with emotions all its own: not just the ecstasy of love rewarded but a kind of ceremonious joy at the conclusion of a long and perilous journey.” The program also includes Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, where the classic tale of doomed young love and the composer’s tortured personal life collide in a dramatic masterpiece. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, with its elevated Spanish folk melodies, rounds out the evening’s program. A free educational lecture will be offered in the Concert Hall before each performance, at 6:45pm on March 28 and 1:45pm on March 29.

Led by Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski, the National Philharmonic is known for performances that are “powerful,” impeccable” and “thrilling” (The Washington Post). Created in 2003, the National Philharmonic took up residence at the state-of-the-art Music Center at Strathmore upon its opening in February 2005. More than 250 performances later, combined with far-reaching educational programming, the National Philharmonic is the largest and most active locally based professional orchestra based in Montgomery County.

The Philharmonic boasts a long-standing tradition of reasonably priced tickets and free admission to all young people age 7-17, assuring its place as an accessible and enriching component in Montgomery County and the greater Washington, DC area.

As the Music Center at Strathmore’s orchestra-in-residence, the National Philharmonic showcases world-renowned guest artists in time-honored symphonic masterpieces conducted by Maestro Gajewski and monumental choral masterworks under National Philharmonic Chorale Artistic Director Stan Engebretson.

To purchase tickets to either performance or for a complete schedule, please visit www.nationalphilharmonic.org or call the Strathmore box office at (301) 581-5100. Tickets are $28-$84; kids 7 to 17 are FREE through the ALL KIDS, ALL FREE, ALL THE TIME program (sponsored by The Gazette). ALL KIDS tickets must be purchased in person or by phone. Complimentary parking is available.