Merced’s own rising musical star Elaine Chuang will play “A Charity Recital” — a piano concert at the Merced Theatre on Saturday, June 4, at 7:30PM
This special performance is presented in collaboration with the Merced Symphony Association and the studio of Janisse Foresti. Admission is free with donations requested.
Elaine will play a captivating variety of piano pieces for all audiences, ranging from a technically impressive Bach prelude and fugue to the devilish sounds of a demonic summoning in Prokofiev’s “Suggestion Diabolique” to the well-loved fantasy tunes of Studio Ghibli.
Her sisters, Bella and Claire, will join her in playing “Merry Go Round of Life” in a small display of chamber music.
Next, Elaine will welcome international talent Maёl Secretan to the recital stage. Maёl is an exchange student from Merced High hailing from Geneva, Switzerland. Together, they will play the invigorating tunes of “Sabre Dance” by Aram Khachaturian.
As a resident of Merced, Elaine has sat in the very seats in which our audience will enjoy the incredible music found right here in town. Never did she think that she would one day cross the auditorium to the stage and take a bow under the lights. This is an exclusive event as this is Elaine’s first and last concert recital because she is a senior graduating from Merced High School choosing to further her education at UC San Diego in psychology next semester.
Starting her musical career at 5 years old in Rochester, New York, Elaine was only a 30-minute drive from the world famous Eastman School of Music. This created the perfect foundation for her piano education and after moving two more times, Elaine found herself in California’s Central Valley at ten years old.
Before long, she had joined Janisse Foresti’s Piano Studio and was competing in the Baroque Festival, United States Open Music Competition and testing under California’s Certificate of Merit Program and the International Royal Conservatory of Music.
In her 13 years of piano playing, Elaine has played concertos, quartets, countless Bach pieces and, her favorite: physically-demanding virtuosic etudes.
To register for seating please visit: https://bit.ly/msarecital2022
For more information about the Merced Symphony Association, please visit mercedsymphony.org and facebook.com/MercedSymphony.