An Evening of MSU Chamber Music
Concert details
- Date: Friday, 22 November 2024
- Time: 5:30 p.m.
- Location: 1300 FRIB Laboratory
- Video recording
Program
Oboe Quintet, GP 258 (1922)
Arnold Bax (1883 – 1953)
Movement One: Tempo molto moderato-Allegro moderato
Movement Two: Lento espressivo
Movement Three: Allegro giocoso
John DeBiase, oboe;
Yulin Zhou and Chonghua Zuo, violin;
Mengyuan Song, viola;
Weigen Jiang, cello
String Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 1 (B. 7)
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
I. Adagio — Allegro ma non troppo
II. Lento
Lyudmila Gofurova and You-Jung Hsu, violin;
Madison Hilborn, viola;
Weian Gu, cello;
Shaun Rogers, double bass
Performer Bios
Lyudmila Gofurova is a violinist from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She started learning violin at the age of seven. She began her musical journey at the V.A. Uspenskiy School and later earned her bachelor's degree from the Government Conservatory of Uzbekistan. Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in violin performance at MSU College of Music, studying under Professor Yvonne Lam. Lyudmila is guided by the belief that "every new day is an opportunity to be a better, kinder, and more helpful person."
You-Jung Hsu began learning the violin at the age of four. He finished his bachelor’s degree at
National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan and is now studying for a masters of music degree at Michigan State University. His mentors include Chiung-Hua Wen and Shih-Hsun Pan. At National Sun Yat-sen University, he studied under Tzu-Ping Lin and attended masterclasses with Benny Kim and Tzu-Ti Chang. Currently, he is learning with I Fu Wang.
Madison Schaefer began studying music at the age of four on the violin. She later switched to viola and decided to devote her life to making and sharing music. She has received a bachelor
of music degree from Wayne State University, a master of music degree from Michigan State
University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate of music at MSU. She lives in Swartz Creek with her husband and enjoys baking and walking her dog in her spare time.
Weian Gu was born in Shanghai, China. She started learning cello with Professor Miejuan Liu at the age of three and started learning piano at the age of four. She enrolled at Music Middle School Applitated of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, studied with Professor Weiping Chen and Professor Weixi Luo. She has received both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Professor Jean-Michel Fonteneau and Professor Jennifer Culp’s studio. She now pursuing her doctor of musical arts degree at Michigan State University under the guidance of Professor Suren Bagratuni.
Shaun Rogers, originally from Toronto, Canada, is a double bass player currently studying music performance at Michigan State University. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto while performing alongside several competitive orchestras like: Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (side by side performance), National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and the National Academy Orchestra. Shaun has also shown a huge interest in music writing. He received private lessons from Juno Awards-nominated Canadian composer Larysa Kuzmenko and primarily enjoys writing in a more traditional style for orchestra and chamber music but has also shown immense creativity in electronic music. In the past, he has completed 10 duets for two basses, one of them premiered for the Toronto Star Newspaper. Another was performed at the Toronto Zoo by two bass players from the Toronto Symphony (Paul Rogers and Timothy Dawson) for a special program called “Zoophony,” where specific works are performed to represent the different animals. To this day, Shaun continues to expand his compositions in the hopes of one day having a major work performed.
John DeBiase is an oboist and educator originally from North East, Maryland. He now resides in the Lansing area pursuing his master’s degree at Michigan State University, where he is studying with Dr. Nermis Mieses. John currently serves as the teaching assistant to the oboe studio at MSU and teaches at the MSU Community Music School. Prior to Michigan State, John received his bachelor's degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2022, where he studied with Dr. Henry Grabb. While residing in the greater Philadelphia area, John was invited to perform with the Kennett Symphony Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic.
Chonghua Zuo received a bachelor’s degree from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and a master of music degree from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Chonghua is currently studying for a doctor of musical arts degree in violin at the Michigan State University School of Music. Chonghua served as the concertmaster for the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Orchestra and the Xinghai Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra. Chonghua was also selected to participate in the Conservatory of Music top innovative talent training plan and the Conservatory of Music excellent talent training plan.
Yulin Zhou graduated from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in 2018, serving as the associate concertmaster of the orchestra and receiving an annual scholarship for outstanding performance. In 2022, Yulin completed a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music under violin professor Curtis Macomber and was awarded the Presidential Scholarship. In 2024, Yulin successfully completed a Professional Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music. Yulin is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at Michigan State University under violin professor Dmitri Berlinsky.
Mengyuan Song is a violist from China. She is currently a first-year doctor of musical arts student at Michigan State University, studying violia performance with Professor Mike Chen. She previously completed her master’s degree from The University of Northern Colorado and received her graduate professional diploma from The Hartt School.
Weigen Jiang was born in Qingdao, China. He began his musical studies at the age of six and studied the cello at the age of 12. Weigen leads a rich musical life as soloist, chamber musician, orchestra player and contemporary musician. He was the principal cello in China Youth Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019 to 2021. In 2019, he performed Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Chinese Music Symphony Orchestra as a soloist at the China Conservatory of Music National Hall. As a chamber musician, he appeared with the Kunlun String Quartet, Spirit Piano Trio and China Conservatory Piano Quintet in Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai, and Germany. His chamber groups, such as the Kunlun String Quartet, have earned prestigious awards in national and international competitions. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the China Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music under Jianan Zhao and David Geber. Currently, Weigen is pursuing his doctor of musical arts degree at Michigan State University under Professor Suren Bagratuni.