YU

Piano duo

Le Carnaval des Animaux Saint-Saens

Variations on a theme by Beethoven Op. 35 Saint-Saens

Rhapsodie Espagnole Ravel

Intermission

Suite for Two Pianos No. 1 Op. 5 (Fantaisie) Rachmaninov

Suite for Two Pianos No. 2 Op. 17 Rachmaninov

Dr. Yu Meina and Dr. Fu Hong the two ladies who formed the "Yu （羽）" Piano Duet are sharing very similar life experience - they started piano learning in a very young age, entering into music conservatories and then went to Germany for further education. They both achieved the highest level degree on solo concert piano performance, and came back to China, teaching in China Conservatory of Music. Also, both of them were honoured winners of various competitions. Their "Yu" Piano Duet was formed when the two lives across and both of the young concert masters see themselves in each other.

The Chinese character "羽 (Yu)" means feather, and is combined by two characters of "习 (Xi)" which means study; and the character "羽" looks like two people study together in solidarity. The image of feather brings feelings of elegance, flexibility, tenderness, and delicacy. Their music is best described by this character, which brings the audience freedom of imagination. With continuous effort of practicing and performing, the two ladies bringing depth and further interpretation into their duet, and their art reached harmony, distillation and liberation through independent thinking, cooperation, and even conflict, and their music therefore filled with much life and energy.