J. Chang Piano Studio

Some clips of recent performances:

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my students, who inspire me everyday.
I am thankful for all of the bounty in my life.
I am thankful for my musical gifts, which – I hope – enhance the lives of those around me.

From these three thanksgivings, came the following music video:

I was inspired by one of my students in particular, who was working on Bach's famous Prelude in C. As she played it for me, I saw a sunrise in my mind's eye, and that became the catalyst for this entire music video to begin with.

All of the scenes were shot in Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, North Carolina. The “sunrise” concept seemed like a nice message of hope for an area so hard hit by natural disaster. Also, my parents recently purchased a cottage in the region, which they will be renovating, so there are some “before” shots included in the video. I'm hoping to include “after” shots in a companion music video, which will act as a bookend and feature a sunset.

To add a bit of an educational element, I colored the shots to reflect the changing harmonies of Bach's composition. The color coding was loosely based on Messiaen's descriptions of the colors that he saw with respect to specified chords. Although I am not a synesthetic listener myself, I tried to really listen carefully as I watched the video in playback, and many of the colors really seem to fit!

Admittedly, the recording and really all of the ex*****on on this project could be so much better, but I just didn't want to labor too much over it, because these things can easily become an endless pursuit of perfection. So, here's to “good enough”:

www.youtube.com

The Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform at Coachella on Saturday, April 12th and again on the 19th❗️

Gustavo Dudamel & the LA Phil at Coachella | LA Phil The LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel join Coachella for an iconic performance this April! This special appearance marks the first time a major orchestra has performed its own set at the prestigious festival in Indio. Catch the Livestream: Where: Watch via YouTube When: April 12 and 19 from 6:25pm to 7:15...

Spent the day adjudicating the NCMTA’s Piano Performance Festival in Charlotte! It was such a pleasure to hear so many young pianists working hard on their craft💪🎹🎶🥳

With Mom, Hubby, and Dad (he's taking the picture) at Walt Disney Concert Hall

The program was full of excellent music, but my favorite was Dylan Mattingly's composition, "a study of some of the terrible ways I love to play the cello"

I wish I could link video/audio of the piece, but, alas, you'll just have to keep a look out for it!

Indiana University, Bloomington is celebrating Charles Ives’s 150th birth year! You can tune-in to the proceedings at https://iumusiclive.music.indiana.edu/ #/

For full schedule and details, see https://blogs.iu.edu/jsommusicology/ives-festival/

Charles Ives at 150: Music, Imagination, and American Culture ABOUT  |  SCHEDULE  |  REGISTRATION  |  TRAVEL |  CONTACT US  A Sesquicentennial Celebration, hosted by the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN, with contextualized performances, cross-disciplinary talks, and conversations exploring Charles Ives and his place in Amer...

Christopher Dragon is our new music director!👏

Conductors - Greensboro Symphony Orchestra The GSO is thrilled to announce the appointment of Christopher Dragon as its new Music Director, starting with the 2024-2025 season.

A whole weekend of hearing Mitsuko Uchida!

Ojai Music Festival | Classical & Contemporary Music Festival For nearly 70 years, the Ojai Music Festival has combined insatiable curiosity with unbounded creativity.

Spotted at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. Shortly after taking the photo, a random traveler sat down and played Chopin’s Mazurka Op. 33 in D Major💖

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/11/seiji-ozawa-obituary

His book of conversations with Haruki Murakami were how I knew him best…

Seiji Ozawa obituary First Japanese conductor to gain recognition in the west who achieved superstar status

Just found out that Peter Schickele passed away last week, RIP

Here’s his genius “Symphony No. 5 Sportscast”

PDQ Bach - Beethoven Symphony No. 5 "Orchestra X" performs Beethoven Symphony No. 5 with Peter Jacoby conducting