***********************************************

Three up-and-coming young pianists in the "Young Soloist Series", namely Henry Au, Yim Wan and Sheryl Lee, will give their own piano recital in July and August. Au will first show up to kick the series off at 8 pm on July 23 (Sunday) at the Sha Tin Town Hall Cultural Activities Hall.

In Au's recital, he will present Beethoven's "Sonata in E flat major, Op. 31, No. 3", Liszt's "Concert Etude 'Un Sospiro'" and "Mephisto Waltz No. 1" and Rachmaninov's "Moments musicaux in B Minor, Op. 16, Nos.3 & 4", "and Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, Op. 18 (1st and 3rd movements.)".

Born in Hong Kong in 1984 and emigrated to Canada in 1992, Henry Au started piano lessons at six. He is currently studying with Dr. Eugene Skovorodnikov. In 1998 he was placed 3rd in the Rome International Piano Competition. He was also a finalist in the 4th Pacific Piano Competition in the same year. Au was chosen by the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival to compete in the British Columbia Festival of the Arts in 1997 and 1998, and came in second both years. Last year, he won 2nd place in the Canadian Music Competition National Finals in Edmonton.

The second piano recital will be performed by Yim Wan at 8 pm on August 6 (Sunday) at the Sha Tin Town Hall Cultural Activities Hall. Yim will bring great works of Bach, Schubert, Schumann and Saint-Saens in her concert.

Yim Wan was born to a musical family and has performed widely in the Far East, including solo, chamber music recitals and concerto appearances in Hong Kong and mainland China. While in Hong Kong, she has won many prizes and scholarships which enables her to attend the Aspen Music Festival in the States. She had her early study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 1994, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music awarded her a full scholarship to study in the Bachelor of Music programme with Monique Duphil. In view of her outstanding work at the Conservatory, she was selected as a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Theta Honor Society. Yim now studies at The Juilliard School of Music with Jerome Lowenthal, and received her Master of Music degree in this summer.

On August 27 (Sunday), Sheryl Lee will give her piano recital as the closing programme of the series in the Tuen Mun Town Hall Cultural Activities Hall at 8 pm. In the concert, the talented pianist will present works by Handel, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann and Schubert.

Sheryl Lee began her piano studies in her native Hong Kong at the age of four and studied under a number of distinguished masters in North America and Europe. Currently, she studies in Los Angeles. Her talent has brought her a number of prizes and scholarship that enabled her to study at Yale University in 1997.

Tickets priced at HK$100 are now available at all URBTIX outlets, with half price concessions for senior citizens, people with disabilities and full time students.

Programme enquiries can be made on 2734 2935 while ticketing enquiries and reservations on 2734 9009.

End/ Wednesday, July 5, 2000

NNNN