Live on this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast cellist Paula Kosower and collaborative pianist Kuang-Hao Huang present works of Nadia Boulanger, Claude Debussy, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Tune in to WFMT or watch the livestream below to enjoy the performance.
Paula Kosower is an active performer and teacher currently residing in Chicago. She frequently performs for the Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Music Series, the University of Illinois Tuesdays-at-One series, North Park University Faculty Concerts, Bach Week Festival Concerts, for events at the Music Institute of Chicago, and for live performances on WFMT 98.7. Other concert appearances include the Chicago Symphony Chamber Music Series, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Rembrandt Chamber Players, Rush Hour at St. James Cathedral, Art Institute of Chicago, Classical Mondays at Preston Bradley Hall, Mostly Music, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Music of the Baroque, Dempster St. Pro Musica, Bach Aria Society of Kansas City, Kansas City String Quartet Program and Wisconsin Public Radio FM 89.7. She has appeared on faculty recitals performing with colleagues at Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, North Park University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Wheaton College, Carthage College, and UWMadison.
She enjoys contemporary music and has played consistently for the Fulcrum Point New Music Project. For many years she played for the CUBE contemporary ensemble, with performances in many Chicago venues. She has performed premieres of numerous compositions, with concerts at the Ravinia Festival, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition she has played for recordings including the Brandenburg Project, featuring the music of Larry Axelrod, and for a recent recording and premiere of the composition Music for Five by Marc Mellits.
In addition to recital and chamber music performances Ms. Kosower regularly performs as a cello substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For the past three seasons, 2012-2015, she has served in the cello section for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She has also played with the Grant Park Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Kosower is a faculty member at North Park University where she teaches applied undergraduate lessons, cello class ensemble, and performs with the Ensemble Nouvelle Epoque. She is also on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago, teaching applied lessons and performing as a member of the faculty Circle Ensemble. She teaches cello pedagogy courses for undergraduate and graduate students at Northwestern University and DePaul University. For the Northwestern University Music Academy she maintains a full studio of precollege students. She also coaches chamber music for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra program. For the past several years she has served as Vice President of the Chicago Cello Society, an organization promoting the art of cello playing with a variety of events in the Chicago area each season.
She earned her B.M. and M.M. degrees at Indiana University where she was a scholarship student of Janos Starker. She also served as Mr. Starker’s graduate teaching assistant. During numerous summers she attended the Aspen Music Festival where she studied with Rafael Figueroa, Eric Kim, David Finckel, Alan Harris, Michael Mermagen, and Zara Nelsova. She also attended the Steans Institute for Young Artists, participating in both the piano and strings chamber music program and the collaborative vocal chamber music program. Her studies at the Steans Institute included lessons with Gary Hoffmann, Timothy Eddy, David Geringas, and Bernard Greenhouse. She has played for masterclasses of YoYo Ma, Lynn Harrell, David Soyer, and Zara Nelsova. She completed her D.M. degree at Northwestern University where she studied with Hans Jorgen-Jensen, and during this time also served as principal cello of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Biography courtesy of UIC.
Commended for his “perceptive pianism” (Audiophile) and “playing that is sensitive and wonderfully warm” (American Record Guide), Chicagoan Kuang-Hao Huang is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist whose performances have taken him throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Mr. Huang has performed in New York City’s Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall; in Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center; and at every major venue in the Chicago area, including the Harris Theatre and Symphony Center. He is often heard live on WFMT and has also performed on WQXR and on Medici.tv. Mr. Huang has recorded for Aucourant, Cedille, Centaur, Innova and Naxos, including a CD of flute fantasies with flutist Mathieu Dufour and a premiere recording of early songs by Alban Berg with mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley. His most recent recordings include Notorious RBG in Song with soprano Patrice Michaels and Songs from Chicago with baritone Thomas Hampson.
A strong advocate of new music, Mr. Huang is a core member of Fulcrum Point New Music Project and Picosa. He has premiered numerous works, including pieces by Mason Bates, Jacob Bancks, Kyong Mee Choi, Stacy Garrop, John Harbison, Daniel Kellogg and Shulamit Ran. Mr. Huang gave the world premiere performances of works by Louis Andriessen and Chen Yi at Weill Hall as part of Carnegie Hall’s Millennium Piano Book Project. He has appeared on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series.
A dedicated teacher, Mr. Huang serves on the faculties of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and Concordia University-Chicago. He has also taught at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University.
Mr. Huang is Associate Artistic Director for the International Music Foundation (IMF) and is the driving force behind Make Music Chicago, a day-long, citywide celebration of music every June 21. He also founded IMF’s Pianos in the Parks program, which partners with the Chicago Park District to give all Chicagoans access to outdoor pianos as well as free lessons.
Biography courtesy of the artist’s website.