APPLE PIE CONCERT SERIES

Duo Formosa

Formosa is the former name for Taiwan, dating from 1542, when Portuguese sailors sighted an uncharted island and noted it on their maps as Ilha Formosa (“beautiful island”).

Both born in Taiwan, violinist Huifang Chen and pianist Catherine Lan have been concertizing as Duo Formosa, touring extensively throughout the United States and performing at major concert halls and museums, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes chamber works for the duo, solo selections, as well as compositions from Formosa (Taiwan). 

Enthusiastic about education, Duo Formosa has presented lectures and recitals at libraries and universities across the USA, and in 2022, Duo Formosa made its Ireland debut with a concert tour throughout Limerick, Dublin, Wicklow, and Mullingar. 

Part of our welcoming Apple Pie Concert series, this relaxed concert experience blends live music with engaging storytelling, followed by a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee or tea shared with fellow music lovers. Come for the music, stay for the pie!

PROGRAM

Spring Breeze | Tyzen Hsiao
Fantasie in C major, D. 934 | Franz Schubert
INTERMISSION
Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 1 in D minor | Camille Saint-Saëns
Souvenirs d’Amérique, Op.17 | Henri Vieuxtemps

This captivating program celebrates the expressive depth and dazzling virtuosity of the violin and piano repertoire, bridging diverse cultures and eras. The concert opens with Tyzen Hsiao’s nostalgic Spring Breeze, a deeply lyrical piece that blends traditional Taiwanese folk idioms with lush, Romantic harmonies to capture the gentle hope of a seasonal awakening. 

This intimate warmth gives way to the profound emotional landscape of Franz Schubert’s Fantasy in C major, D. 934. Written in the final year of his life, this monumental work weaves technical brilliance with sublime introspection, centering on a series of breathtaking variations on his own song, “Sei mir gegrüsst,” and demanding an extraordinary level of mastery from both instruments.

Following intermission, the mood shifts to the fiery passion of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75. Renowned for its sweeping dramatic arcs and continuous, attacca structure, the sonata pushes both performers to their absolute limits. It seamlessly transitions from a turbulent, brooding opening to a fleet-footed, perpetuum mobile finale – a thrilling tour de force that famously inspired Marcel Proust’s fictional Vinteuil Sonata in his literature. 

The concert concludes on a high note of pure showmanship with Henri Vieuxtemps’ Souvenir d’Amérique, Op. 17. Composed during his 1843 American tour, this playful and highly acrobatic set of variations showcases the ultimate peak of Romantic violin fireworks. Packed with daring left-hand pizzicatos, ricochet bowing, double-stops, and witty humor, it provides a spectacular, crowd-pleasing finale to a magnificent musical journey. 

Audiences will experience a rich tapestry of sound that transitions seamlessly from quiet, reflective folklore to the heights of nineteenth-century European chamber masterworks and theatrical American bravura.