top of page
CIT - Hero.jpg

We're excited to announce our next

spectacular event, 

Chopin in Transcription 

Join the Friends of Chopin Australia for a beautiful evening of exquisite music with Alexander Yau (piano) and Rachel Siu (cello) performing Chopin's music for the incomparable combination of piano and cello. This delightful program includes some of Chopin's most exquisite solo piano works transcribed for piano and cello, as well as Chopin's own compositions for piano and cello, including the Grand Duo Concertante which is itself a transcription of themes from Meyerbeer's opera Robert Le Diable.


Join us after the performance for complimentary refreshments
and meet the performers
.

28 May, 2023
All Saints Church, Ainslie

Concert: 3pm-4:30pm
Refreshments: 4:30pm-5:30pm

PROGRAM:
 

  • A selection of Chopin’s Mazurkas transcribed for piano and cello

  • Sonata in G minor Op. 65 
    for piano and cello

 [interval] 

  • A selection of transcriptions of etudes and nocturnes for piano and cello

  • Grand Duo Concertante in E major (from themes of Meyerbeer's Robert Le Diable)
    for piano and cello

  • Introduction and Polonaise Brillante Op. 3 
    for piano and cello

Alexander Yau (piano)

Alexander Yau, an eminent young Australian pianist, has developed himself as a versatile musician incorporating his many musical talents as a chamber musician, vocalist, conductor and composer. 

 

As a soloist, he has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and SBS Youth Orchestra in Rachmaninov’s first three concerti, as well as the mighty Brahms Concerto no.2 with the Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra. In 2020, he founded his own chamber orchestra and conducted Mozart’s Concerto no. 23 from the piano in its inaugural concert. He was awarded top prizes at the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, Australian International Chopin Piano Competition, Lev Vlassenko Competition, Australian National Piano Award and the Sydney Kawai Piano Scholarship.

He has given solo and chamber performances at the Canberra International Music Festival in Australia, FOCUS Festival in New York, International Mendelssohn Akademie in Leipzig, Villa Reale in Italy, Polish Embassy of Australia, City Recital Hall Angel’s Place, Troldhaugen in Norway, Australian Pavilion at Shanghai Expo and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Centre in New York. This year he released his first album in collaboration with clarinettist Deborah de Graff, featuring his own compositions and works by other Australian composers. 

 

Alexander obtained his Masters degree at the Juilliard School studying under prof. Matti Raekallio. He now holds the role of collaborative piano staff at the Sydney Conservatorium of music and music staff on part-time contract with Opera Australia. He will be working as an assistant conductor for Madame Butterfly on the Sydney Harbour production in 2023. 

AY portrait.jpg

Rachel Siu (cellist)

Described as "fearless" by Yo-Yo Ma in an interview with South China morning post, Australian

born Rachel Siu has been making her mark all around the world. Rachel started learning the

cello at the age of five with Renat Yusupov. She completed both her Bachelor of Music and

Master of Music degrees under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School, where she

was a Kovner Fellow, and a recipient of the William Schuman Commencement Prize for

outstanding leadership and achievement during her time at Juilliard. Her previous teachers

include Peter Rejto and Susan Blake.

Since debuting as a soloist at the age of seven at the Sydney Town Hall, Rachel has been invited

to perform worldwide as both a soloist and chamber musician, and has soloed with numerous

orchestras, including the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, The Juilliard Orchestra, and LGT

Young Soloists, working under the baton of conductors such as Thomas Adès, and Long Yu. She

has frequented as a performer in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Elbilpharmonie, Sydney Opera

House, Alice Tully Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and the Musikverein.

Rachel is also a recipient of many awards, more notably the Gold Medal prize at the VIII David

Popper International Cello Competition in Hungary, and was the winner of The Juilliard School

concerto competition in 2017. She was also a prize winner in the IX Carlos Prieto International

Cello Competition in Mexico.

Rachel currently holds a position as faculty at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music - University

of Sydney, and is a member of LGT Young Soloists and Australia's own renowned Streeton Trio.

AfterlightImage_edited.jpg
bottom of page