About this Event
About the performers:
Christoph Wagner
Christoph Wagner, a native of Germany, is a sought-after cellist who has concertized on four continents. In 2018, he received the Sviatoslav Richter Grant from Rice University, followed by the Amici di Via Gabina Fellowship in 2019. His many concerts include a 2019 tour of Italy, appearances at Wiesbaden Winter Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, the Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas, and performances as orchestral cellist throughout the US and Germany. Mr. Wagner is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Rice University, and his current research focuses on the role of nutrition in musical peak performance. A passionate advocate for Sustainability and Plant-Based nutrition, Wagner created Rice Vegan Society in 2017, advocating for a more veg-friendly and zero-waste environment at Rice University, as well as sharing information about the manifold benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle: environmental sustainability, animal rights, health, social justice and world peace. He holds a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.
Dr. Joanne Kong
Pianist Joanne Kong’s performances have been praised for “great finesse and flexibility” (The Washington Post), and “superb artistry” (San Antonio Express-News) in works “sensitively played” (New York Times). She premiered Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass’s concerto Side by Side, and has received numerous national and international honors including a fellowship from the American Academy of the Arts in Europe and the Grand Prize in the 1985 International Piano Recording Competition. She is currently director of chamber music ensembles at the University of Richmond. Dr. Kong speaks around the world as an animal, environmental and vegan advocate. Her TEDx talk, The Power of Plant-Based Eating, has over 1 million views, she is editor of Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers, and appears in the major documentary, Eating Our Way to Extinction. An award-winning performer across the US, Asia, Europe and South America, she draws upon a diversity of skills as a writer, speaker and creative artist in her advocacy activities.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
First UU Church, 5200 Fannin Street, Houston, United States
USD 0.00