About this Event
Piano Masterclass with Vincent Ho
Saturday, Feb 7, 1:15pm
Third Street Music School
Anna-Maria Kellen Concert Hall
Free and open to the public. RSVP required.
Vincent Ho leads a public masterclass with students from the Third Street Piano Department. Audience members can watch as Vincent shares insights, techniques, and tips.
Ideal for piano enthusiasts, aspiring musicians, and anyone interested in the piano.
At this master class Vincent will be focused on his book of compositions inspired by Chinese Zodiac animals for student pianists.
About The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals
As my daughter was learning piano, I found there were few Asian-themed pieces in the repertoire series she was learning from, and even fewer that reflected Chinese cultural themes. So I decided to compose a book of twelve short pieces for piano inspired by the Chinese Zodiac animals, all tailored to the educational needs of student pianists. To ensure that I created sincere musical portraits of each animal, I researched their legends, personality traits, and cultural significance (eg. Rabbit – gentle, compassionate, and lucky), as well as their distinguishing physical languages (eg. Rabbit – swift hopping/jumping motions). This information was necessary in my efforts to capture their musical spirits and recreate their physical/gestural languages in pianistic form. In addition, I incorporated many sounds, harmonies, and performance techniques that I had learned from my years of researching (and composing for) Chinese traditional instruments. As a way to appeal to young players, I approached these works as musical caricatures of each animal in their early years:
- Mischievous Mouse
- Little Ox
- Dance of the Tiger Cubs
- Prancing Bunny
- Little Dragon
- Playful Snakelets
- The Happy Foal
- Sleepy Lamb
- Monkey See, Monkey Do
- The Dancing Cockerel
- The Wandering Puppy
- Gentle Piglet
About Vincent
Vincent Ho is a multi-award winning composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and theatre music. His works have been described as “brilliant and compelling” by The New York Times and hailed for their profound expressiveness and textural beauty, leaving audiences talking about them with great enthusiasm. His many awards and recognitions have included four Juno Award nominations, Harvard University’s Fromm Music Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts’ “Robert Fleming Prize”, ASCAP’s “Morton Gould Young Composer Award”, four SOCAN Young Composers Awards, and CBC Radio’s Audience Choice Award (2009 Young Composers’ Competition).
During the period of 2007-2014, Dr. Ho has served as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s composer-in-residence and had presented a number of large-scale works that have generated much excitement and critical praise. His Arctic Symphony has been described “as a beautiful work that evokes the Far North in a very special way” (John Corigliano), and “a mature and atmospheric work that firmly establishes Ho among North American composers of note” (Winnipeg Free Press). His percussion concerto, titled The Shaman, composed for Dame Evelyn Glennie was hailed as a triumph, receiving unanimous acclaim and declared by critics as “Spectacular” (The New York Classical Review), “A powerhouse work” (The Winnipeg Free Press), and “Rocking/mesmerizing…downright gorgeous” (The Pittsburgh Gazette). His second concerto for Glennie titled From Darkness To Light, Ho’s musical response to the cancer illness, was lauded as “a lasting masterpiece of sensitivity and perception” (Winnipeg Free Press). His cello concerto, City Suite, composed for Canadian cellist Shauna Rolston, has received similar praise with critics calling it “Thrilling” (Windsor Star) and “Overflowing with striking ideas…The most successful piece heard at this year’s Festival” (Classical Voice America).
Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1975, Vincent Ho began his musical training through Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music where he earned his Associate Diploma in Piano Performance. He gained his Bachelor of Music from the University of Calgary, his Master of Music from the University of Toronto, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. His mentors have included Allan Bell, David Eagle, Christos Hatzis, Walter Buczynski, and Stephen Hartke. In 1997, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Schola Cantorum Summer Composition Program in Paris, where he received further training in analysis, composition, counterpoint, and harmony, supervised by David Diamond, Philip Lasser, and Narcis Bonet.
In his free time, he enjoys running, reading, traveling, dancing, hiking, playing chess, and learning the keyboard works of Bach, Beethoven, Ravel, and Ligeti (among many others). He is also an enthusiast of old-time radio shows, photography, crime noir, Zen art, jazz, Jimi Hendrix, graphic novels, and Stanley Kubrick films.
Dr. Ho has taught at the University of Calgary and currently serves as Artistic Director to Land’s End Ensemble. His works are published and managed by Promethean Editions Ltd and Theodore Presser Company.
About Master Classes
A master class is a special opportunity for students and guests to watch and learn from a guest teacher and expert in their area. Guests work with students as a group or one at a time in front of an audience. The guest can engage with students and audiences in a variety of ways, often providing feedback on how to improve their technique, expression, and interpretation.
Guests may also share stories about their experiences such as their career, learning a piece, working with a composer, demonstrating how to play certain passages, and point out common issues and ways to improve.
All spectators and students can benefit from observing a master class and learning master's teaching and listening to the different versions of the piece.
Master Classes are always free and open to the public to observe.
Questions About the Master Class or Workshop?
Contact: Third Street Music School
email: [email protected]
Ticket Policy
- RSVPs are first-come, first-served.
- RSVPs are required of all attendees, including children. An adult must accompany all children.
- An RSVP does not guarantee a seat. Free events are oversold to accommodate drops.
- Same-day walkups will be accepted. Remaining seats will be released before the show starts, as space permits.
Venue Policy
- This venue is accessible to wheelchairs
- Large items, including strollers and carts, are not permitted in the hall but can be left in the lobby at the owner's discretion. Third Street does not assume liability for any theft or damage.
- No food or drinks are permitted in the performance space.
- No pets allowed, service animals only.
Photo & Video Policy
To celebrate and promote our programs and school, photos and videos may occasionally be taken during classes, rehearsals, and performances. These images may be used in newsletters, social media, promotional materials, or on our website. By participating in our programs or attending an event at Third Street, you acknowledge and agree to this policy.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Third Street Music School Settlement, 235 East 11th Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00
