March 1, 2009
Acclaimed Pianist to Appear with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra during Masterworks Concert:  Dawn of the Romantics

Hagerstown, MD—The Maryland Symphony Orchestra continues its Masterworks series in March with the award-winning pianist, Chu-Fang Huang, as guest artist.  The concerts will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m. at the historic Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown.

Huang is among the most confident and accomplished young pianists performing today and her extensive orchestral and recital appearances throughout the U.S. and abroad have elicited enthusiastic responses from audiences and critics alike.  She will be performing Beethoven’s powerful Piano Concerto No. 3 in C-Minor, Op. 37. 

In 2005 she was the winner of the Cleveland International Piano Competition and a finalist in the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.  Huang began studying the piano at age seven in her native China and at 12 years of age received a full scholarship to the Shenyang Music Conservatory’s pre-college division.  At 15 she made her U.S. recital debut.  A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree, she also holds a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School and is enrolled in its prestigious Artist Diploma Program. 

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra will also be performing Mendelssohn’s Overture to Die Schone Melusine, Op. 32 and Schumann’s Symphony No 3 (Rhenish).  Program notes and audio clips of the musical selections being performed are available at www.marylandsymphony.org by clicking on the Audio Program Notes on the performance page. 

Tickets, starting at $22, may be purchased online or by calling 301-797-4000.  Student rush tickets (no reservations accepted) are also available at the box office 90 minutes before each performance for $5.00.  Seat selection will be at the discretion of the box office personnel. 
The Celebration Sponsor for “Dawn of the Romantics” is the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Guild. 

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.  An agency of the Department of Business and Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities. 

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is the area’s premier professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances that educate and entertain, while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region.