Penang Chamber Music Festival 2024

Experience the inaugural Penang Chamber Music Festival, presented by the Penang Art District! This classical music festival is a series of brilliant classical piano trio concerts performed by the award-winning, internationally acclaimed musicians Dr Esther Shin Chuang on the piano, Yoko Mano on the violin, and Rachel An on the cello.
 
The Penang Chamber Music Festival has four concerts tailored to three different age groups. Numerous scholars agree that classical music is beneficial for all ages, and is especially beneficial for the cognitive, social, and emotional development for babies and children. That is why we curated a chamber music festival that is for all ages.
 
We are excited to present the first-ever Classical Concert for Babies in Penang (and possibly in all of Malaysia)! Let your babies crawl, dance, and move to live classical music, up and close to the instruments.
 
The "Move to Music Concert'' for Kids and Families is an interactive concert, where award-winning dancer Mich Elle will lead the children in body movements she choreographed, while the audience listens to the beautiful music performed by the distinguished musicians.

The "Concert for Adults" will feature dancer Mich Elle's beautiful solo dance performance as the Piano trio musicians play music live on stage. It will be a feast for the eyes and the ears!
 
In the concerts, Steinway Piano Teacher and esteemed educator, Dr Esther Shin Chuang will explain about each musical piece so that the audience can understand and enjoy the music even more. Dr Esther is the visionary and pianist behind multiple sold-out concerts such as "Come Play With Me: A Piano Concert for Families" at the George Town Festival 2022, "The Enchanted Forest: A Concert-Dance-Theatre for Families" (2023), and "Classical Concert and Talk for Children" in collaboration with cellist Rachel An (2023).
 
Purchase your tickets today to the Penang Chamber Music Festival 2024 before they are sold out! This is an event you do not want to miss.

The Penang Chamber Music Festival is sponsored by Piano Atelier and Gallery, a piano specialist in Penang, and Hightec Plating.

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Penang Chamber Music Festival 2024 Program

• Concert for Babies (45 mins) will include selected musical pieces from the program.
• Move to Music Concert for Kids and Families feat. dancer Mich Elle (60 mins) will include selected musical pieces from the program. 
• Concert for Adults feat. dancer Mich Elle (75 mins) will include the full concert program listed below. 

Full Concert Program:

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) - Piano Trio No. 39 in G Major, Hob.XV:25, "Gypsy"
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) - WoO 1, Hungarian Dance No. 6
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: III. Anitra’s Dance
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, "Ghost"- 1st movement
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) - Elegy: Do Not Tempt Me
Edward Elgar (1857-1934) - Salut D’Amour
Transcribed by Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) and Hugo Kreisler (1884-1929) - Farewell to Cucullain (Old Irish Melody, also known as Danny Boy)
Disney: When You Wish Upon A Star
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) - Le Grand Tango

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Q and A

Questions about the Concert for Babies:

Q: What age is this Concert for Babies for?
A: This concert was designed with babies/toddlers ages 0-3 in mind.
 
Q: Will there be mats for the baby concert? Or should we bring our own?
A: The concert organizers will provide simple mats for the babies to crawl and sit while they listen to the beautiful classical music. You can also sit in the comfortable cushioned chairs in the auditorium.
 
Q: I want to bring my other child too; are children (not babies) allowed?
A: Yes, absolutely. You can bring your baby and the older sibling(s) too. But note that the older sibling will need to purchase a ticket as well. Each child needs to purchase a ticket, regardless of the child’s age.
 
Q: Do adults need to buy tickets too?
A: Up to 2 adults (parents, caregivers, etc) per child can enter for free without a ticket.
 
Q: How is the concert baby friendly?
A: The concert will be only 45 minutes, and there will be baby-friendly movements led by Dr Tony. These gentle movements are meant for the caregiver to do with their baby, creating a special bond. Also, the lights over the audience seats will not be dark like a usual classical concert, but will be lit up. Lastly, babies will be welcomed to sit very close to the instruments, so that they could see the instruments and musicians up close.

Questions about the "Move to Music Concert" for Kids and Families:

Q: Are babies allowed? Do they need a ticket?
A: If you are coming with an older child but also have a baby, yes, you can come with your baby too. If your baby is under the age of 36 months and will sit on the adult's lap and don't need his/her own seat, then the baby does not need a ticket. Anyone older than the age of 36 months will need a ticket for this concert.
 
Q: How is this concert child friendly, compared to the Concert for Babies?
A: Dr Esther will explain about each piece in children friendly language. The body movements will be choreographed with children ages 4-15 in mind. For most of the concert, the children will be moving their bodies to the music, having a fun time throughout.

Questions in General:

Q: Is there parking available at Wawasan University?
A: Yes, paid parking of RM5 per entry will be available on site.
 
Q: What time should we arrive?
A: Plan on arriving at 20-30 minutes before the concert so that you could find parking and find the auditorium. We will start all the concerts on time.
 
Q: Where exactly are the concerts happening at?
At the Auditorium Tum Dr Lim Keng Yaik, level 5 of Wawasan Open University.
 
Q: Are ticket refunds/exchanges allowed?
A: At this moment, we do not allow ticket refunds/exchanges.
 
Q: Are there discounts for group tickets (schools, organizations, etc)?
A: Yes, for groups of 20 or more people, please write to EstherShinChuang@gmail.com for a special discount. For groups of 4 tickets, use discount code FAMILY to receive 10 percent off your tickets.

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Production Team:

Dr Esther Shin Chuang, pianist and educator
Yoko Mano, violinist
Rachel An, cellist
Mich Elle, dancer/choreographer

Organized by Penang Art District
Sponsors: Hightec Plating, Piano Atelier and Gallery

Dr Esther Shin Chuang

Dr. Esther Shin Chuang, an award-winning pianist, has given concerts on four continents: North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. She has performed in numerous prestigious venues around the world including St. Gile’s Cathedral (Scotland), Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center (U.S.), and Carnegie Hall (U.S.). She played in the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, hosted by the International Music Foundation and broadcasted live by 98.7 WFMT. She is the winner of many competitions including the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition, Zimmerli Foundation's 11th BMC Piano Competition, 19th International Young Artist Competition, Associated Teachers of Music League Young Artist Competition, Baltimore Music Club Competition, and Manchester Young Artist Competition.
 
Dr. Chuang studied as a scholarship student in the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School in New York City. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, U.S.) and Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the Manhattan School of Music (New York, U.S.). She earned her Doctor of Worship Studies at Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies (Jacksonville, U.S.).

She has also been the artistic director of concerts and performances in the U.S., Malaysia, and other countries, creating innovative, multi-sensory concerts. Most recently, she was the artistic director and pianist of the critically acclaimed, family-friendly piano concert "Come Play With Me" at the 13th George Town Festival 2022 and Damansara Children Arts Festival 2024. She was also the creative director and pianist of the concert-dance-theatre "The Enchanted Forest" at the 14th George Town Festival 2023. She is a Steinway Piano Teacher and Educational Partner, an honorary title held by only a few in Malaysia.

Yoko Mano (Violinist)

Yoko Mano, an active freelance chamber and orchestral violinist, studied at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag, the Netherlands String Quartet Academy and the Rotterdam Conservatory. As a substitute musician, she has performed with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valencia, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Yokohama Sinfonietta. Yoko has attended numerous music festivals including the Verbier Festival, Lucerne Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Zermatt Festival, Pacific Music Festival and Seiji Ozawa Opera Project.

In the spring of 2010, she conducted orchestral workshops and private lessons to Palestinian children from The Barenboim-Said Foundation. She is a founding member of Duo Iris with Pianist Kana Goto. Yoko has given countless performances in Japan, the Netherlands and several other countries, including an acclaimed performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto as a soloist in Tokyo in March of 2015. 
【http://www.yokomano.com】

Rachel An (Cellist)

Rachel An is an award-winning professional cellist based in Penang. She studied cello performance at Chungbuk Arts High School. She received a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at Chung-Ang University, and a Master in Arts Management (MBA) at Kyung Hee University University, all in South Korea.
 
She has been a member of the Chungbuk Youth Orchestra and the Gwacheon Youth Orchestra in Korea, and has performed at numerous overseas invitations, including the Kobe Cello Festival in Japan, China, and Thailand. She is the winner of numerous music competitions and has been performing in chamber music groups and orchestras.
 
Rachel An is interested in tango and gypsy music. As a cellist in a Korean jazz band, she has recorded albums, performed, and their performances have been broadcasted on KBS and EBS (Korean national TV broadcast).
 
Currently, she is engaged in various musical activities in Penang, Malaysia.

Mich Elle (Dancer/Choreographer)

Mich Elle is a dancer-model, trained for almost 10 years in classical ballet at Priscilla Ballet Academy and 5 years of contemporary dance at Euphoria Penang Modern Dance Ensemble. Obtained distinction in every grade at the Royal Academy of Dance in Ballet and currently is at Advance 1. She continues to further her studies at Expanded Contemporary Dance (ECD) in Amsterdam, Netherlands for her Bachelor Degree (BA). Besides dancing, she has been involved in the modeling industry since 2022.  
 
Mich Elle won overall Dance Championship in Asia Pacific Arts Festival in 2022. She was part of a group that have won the special prize at the Andong Mask Competition in Korea. Besides that, as a group, she went to overseas such as China and perform to represent Malaysia. She is also involved in performances such as Penang Fashion Week, Butterworth Fringe Festival, Penang Dance Day, Georgetown Heritage Day and more.

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Penang Art District (PAD) is an initiative by the Penang State Government to promote the growth of the creative industry economy in Penang. Through the PAD initiative, the value of Penang’s art and culture is being enhanced with the involvement of artists and the community. PAD fosters creativity through diverse programs and community engagements. PAD cultivates a dynamic platform for all, regardless of age or background, to explore and celebrate art's transformative power. By organizing dynamic art and music workshops as well as educational and captivating concerts, PAD sparks artistic inspiration and builds community for all ages across Penang.