Angela Cheng – Canada
Consistently praised for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty, and superb musicianship, Canadian pianist Angela Cheng is one of her country’s national treasures. In addition to regular guest appearances with virtually every orchestra in Canada, she has performed with the symphonies of Alabama, Annapolis, Colorado, Flint, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Saint Louis, San Diego, Syracuse, and Utah, as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Buffalo, Louisiana, London, Minas Gerais/Brazil, and Israel. In June 2016, she returned to Virtuosi Concerts Winnipeg as “Poet of the Piano,” in celebration of their 25th anniversary season.
Highlights of the 2017–2018 season included return performances with the Edmonton Symphony and Vancouver Symphony, performing Ravel’s Concerto in G; Victoria Symphony, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271; and Orchestre Métropolitain/Montreal, performing Strauss’ Burleske in D Minor under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. She also made her debut with the Dayton Philharmonic. In August, she made her Argentinian recital debut in Buenos Aires at the Auditorio de la Fundación Beethoven. Her performance schedule also includes extensive touring as collaborative pianist with Pinchas Zukerman and as a member of the Zukerman Trio.
Ms. Cheng made her highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut with the Edmonton Symphony in the spring of 2012. That summer, she also appeared at the prestigious Salzburg Festival in a recital with Pinchas Zukerman.
Angela Cheng’s collaborations with Pinchas Zukerman began in 2009, when, at his invitation, she toured both Europe and China as a member of the Zukerman Chamber Players, and as Mr. Zukerman’s collaborative pianist. She joined them again in the spring of 2010 for a U.S. tour, which included concerts at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the 92nd Street Y in New York. Subsequent seasons have seen multiple tours of Europe and South America, including performances at the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and at the Schleswig-Holstein and Ravinia festivals. With Mr. Zukerman and cellist Amanda Forsyth, as a member of the Zukerman Trio, Ms. Cheng made her debuts in 2013 at the Verbier, Edinburgh, Miyazaki, St. Petersburg/Stars of the White Nights, and Enescu/Romania Festivals. During the 2016–2017 season, the Zukerman Trio performed in Australia, Asia, Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States. Last season, Ms. Cheng performed with Mr. Zukerman and the Zukerman Trio throughout the United States, and in Australia, the Canary Islands, Germany, and South America.
An avid recitalist, Ms. Cheng appears regularly on recital series throughout the United States and Canada, and has collaborated with numerous chamber ensembles including the Takács, Colorado, and Vogler Quartets. Festival appearances have included Banff, Bravo! Vail, Chautauqua, Colorado, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla’s SummerFest, Ravinia, Vancouver, Festival International de Lanaudière in Quebec, MasterWorks Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and the Cartegena International Music Festival in Colombia.
Angela Cheng’s debut recording of two Mozart concerti with Mario Bernardi and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra received glowing reviews. Other CDs include Clara Schumann’s Concerto in A Minor with JoAnn Falletta and the Women’s Philharmonic for Koch International; for CBC Records, four Spanish concerti with Hans Graf and the Calgary Philharmonic; both Shostakovich concerti with Mario Bernardi and the CBC Radio Orchestra; and a solo disc of selected works of Clara and Robert Schumann. Most recently, an all-Chopin recital CD was released by Universal Music Canada.
Ms. Cheng is a gold medalist of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, as well as the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition. Other awards include the Canada Council’s coveted Career Development Grant and the Medal of Excellence for outstanding interpretations of Mozart from the Mozarteum in Salzburg.