Fourth Friday Concert Series – Friday, September 22nd, 7:30PM


When:
September 22, 2023 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm America/New York Timezone
2023-09-22T19:30:00-04:00
2023-09-22T21:30:00-04:00
Where:
Ruggero Piano
4720-120 Hargrove Road. Raleigh
NC 27616
Cost:
Free
Contact:
Ruggero Piano
919-839-2040

Click here for Livestream link!

Performer Bios 

15-year-old Olivia Li from Cary, NC studies the piano with Florence Ko and has over the years garnered myriad awards and scholarships. She placed first in various competitions including the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs (NCFMC) Young Artist Auditions, 6 years consecutively from divisions Senior I until Concerto IV, as well as the Princess category of the NCFMC Royalty Competition, the SYMF Southwestern Youth Music Festival Competition, the USA IMAE Music & Art Exchange International Piano Competition where she had a masterclass with the renowned Gary Graffman, RTPA Scholarship Competition, CAPTA Bullard Competition, and 2nd prize of the prestigious NC symphony concerto competition and 3rd Annual Hayes School of Music Piano Competition. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys sharing her music with others and frequently hosts performances at local retirement centers, and hospitals. She has also been invited to perform at various events, such as 5 consecutive meetings for the 2023 Cary Environmental Symposium at the Cary Arts Center, where many esteemed speakers and mayor are invited as well.

Chris (Yuanduo) Li, who is 17 years old and currently in the 11th grade, attends Green Level High School in Apex, North Carolina. He was born in China in 2006 and began his musical journey when he was just six years old. He started taking piano lessons in June 2021 after moving to the United States, and he’s been guided by Florence Ko. Since then, Chris has achieved some impressive accomplishments: he came in second place in the 2022 Young Artist Auditions (YAA) competition at the Prince level. He also got first place in the Senior level of the 2022 Raleigh Piano Teacher Association (RPTA) scholarship competition, the Bullard piano competition (High School level), and the Raleigh Music Club Scholarship Auditions. It’s worth noting that he got second position in the Senior division of the 2022 Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) competition, and he won in the Senior division of the International American Protege competition. Additionally, he had the chance to be part of the East Carolina University piano festival and their master classes. In 2023, he achieved second place in the North Carolina Royalty Competition at the King level. He also won the National Federation of Music Clubs competition at the King level and the Hinda Honigman piano scholarship in Statesville, NC, performed in Environmental Symposium at Cary Arts Center. Apart from his dedication to playing the piano, Chris enjoys taking part in basketball and tennis, which brings him joy.

Jared Alan Yoakem is a pianist from Grand Rapids, MI. As a recitalist, he has performed at the Brendle Recital Hall, Wake Forest University, NC; Covington Arts Center, Radford University, VA; Katzen Arts Center, American University, DC; and Porter Arts Center, Brevard College, NC. As a collaborative artist, he has performed with ACDA, NATS, the National Orpheus Competition, and a variety of choral projects including two national PBS broadcasts at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He has been awarded with the Dean’s Advisory Council Award for outstanding achievement in music from Belmont University in 2019. Yoakem has participated in the Collaborative Piano Institute at Louisiana State University, the Leon Fleisher Academy of Washington D.C., and the Vivace Music Foundation of Wilmington, NC. He has participated in masterclasses by Stanislav Ioudenitch, Marina Lomazov, Julian Martin, Anne-Marie McDermott and Robert McDonald. Yoakem holds degrees from Belmont University & East Carolina University, under the instruction of Elena Bennett and Kwan Yi. He currently serves as a piano faculty member at the Cary School of Music and as a teaching assistant to Kwan Yi.

 

 

 

Customer Reviews

We purchased our Schimmel grand piano from Ruggero Piano late in the summer of 2001 after an extensive search, which included all of the major brands of pianos, made in the U.S. and abroad. We considered many pianos, but after playing the Schimmel, knew that we had found the best piano for our needs. The piano has exceeded our expectations in every way. The action is extremely responsive and the mellifluous, clear sound fills our sanctuary. The commitment to craftsmanship and performance quality demonstrated by the Schimmel Company for more than 100 years was yet another factor that put Schimmel at the top of our list.

Our choirs and congregation are thrilled with the purchase. The Schimmel piano has been a boost to our entire music program. In addition to use in worship services, the sanctuary piano is used in a variety of other music activities. We host everything from student recitals to community concerts by professional musicians. We are absolutely thrilled to have an instrument that is such a joy for all to play and year. Thank you Ruggero Piano! - Elizabeth Gulley, First Presbyterian Church Of High Point, NC

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