In times of great pain, isolation, and alienation, there can also be great love, hope, and - the most heartbreaking, heartwarming tenderness. Both Beethoven and Schubert’s last Sonatas explore this profound tenderness amidst the universal human experience of suffering, solitude, and longing for connection. In contrast, Canadian composer Chu’s “Flower Club Fantasy” brings to life the youthful and spirited love between five girlfriends who attend magic school. “Immortal Tenderness” is a deeply intimate program that captures moments of serenity, contemplation, as well as a passionate, eternal, and almost unbearably tender love for humanity that transcends time and space. 

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 (22’) 

1. Vivace ma non troppo, sempre legato - Adagio espressivo 

2. Prestissimo 

3. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo

Franz Schubert - Piano Sonata in B-flat major, D.960 (37’) 

1. Molto moderato (15’)

2. Andante sostenuto (9’

Sergei Rachmaninoff/Earl Wild - Where Beauty Dwells, Op.21 No. 7 (4’)

Wesley Chu - Flower Club Fantasy (12’)

1. The Dancing Lily

2. The Weeping Iris

3. The Singing Rose

4. The Painting Lotus

5. The Fiddling Dandelion