Lebanon Valley College Presents Pianist Eric Fung in Oct. 19 Performance

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Dr. Eric Fung to perform Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. in Lutz Hall

ANNVILLE, PA (09/26/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College pianist and associate professor of music Dr. Eric Fung will perform on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. in Lutz Hall of the Blair Music Center. The program is free and open to the public.

The program will include "Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op.30" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with assistance from pianist Dennis Loftin playing the transcription of the orchestra part on the second piano. Written in 1909, Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3" (a.k.a. Rach 3) is widely regarded as one of the toughest, most challenging, and most intimidating works for piano. As Alex Wade of The Guardian described, "The Rach 3 is the K2 of the piano repertory: a savage, relentless exposure to everything the keyboard can throw at anyone who dares to take it on."

Fung was awarded second-price ex aequo winner at the 13th International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, as well as winning first prize at the Corpus Christi young Artists International Competition (1996), second prize at St. Louis Symphony Concerto Competition (1997), and first prize at the Juilliard School Concerto Competition, which led to his performance of Brahms's "Piano Concerto No. 1" at the Lincoln Center in 2000. Fung received outstanding reviews for his pianism for being "mature, refined, and elegant" by the New York Times and The Hong Kong Economic Review called him "unique among the contemporary Chinese pianists, for the aesthetic of his music can be traced back to the study and passion for Bach's works."

A frequent performer, Dr. Fung has appeared in various music festivals, such as the European Piano Forum in Berlin, the Puigcerda International Classica musical in Spain, and the Philadelphia Bach Festival. His interests lie in searching for a new sensibility in the performance of 18th and 19th century music through analysis and research. Since the completion of his doctoral thesis titled "Neglected Treasure: Johann Sebastian Bach's Overture in the French Manner, BWV 831: A Study in Motive, Harmony, and Voice Leading," he has been invited to give lectures and seminars on analysis and performance by various professional societies.

Dr. Fung teaches piano, keyboard harmony, and other piano-related courses. He has studied piano with Natalya Antonova, Martin Canin, Eva Lue, and Oxana Yablonskaya. Fung also received coaching from Boris Berman, Christopher Elton, Claude Frank, and Peter Frankl. He studied analysis with Steven Laitz and Carl Schachter. Fung holds a bachelor in music, master of arts in music theory pedagogy, and master of music in piano performance degrees from The Eastman School of Music, and doctor of musical arts from The Juilliard School.

Lebanon Valley College offers numerous public performances by students, faculty, and guests of the College throughout the semester. For the compete list of recitals this fall, visit http://www.lvc.edu/music/student-recitals.aspx.