On July 21, 2019, a full house audience eagerly awaited in the state of the art, brand new Kayserburg Concert Hall, which is part of the 12 billion (RMB) facilities at the Headquarters of Guangzhou Pear River Piano Group Co.,Ltd. In attendance were corporate leaders of the piano industry, China literati and yes… many families with young children! All glued to their seats over Pagano’s transcendental vibrations of the first order.
In attendance were Mr. Xiao Wei, Vice President of Pearl River Piano Group, and also General Manager of Pearl River Kayserburg Piano Co.,Ltd., Mr. Liu Chun Qing, General Manager of Pearl River Amason Digital Musical Instrument Co. Ltd., and Mr. Leng Tshua, Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Pearl River Piano Group. This event is a prestigious first piano concert jointly organized by Pearl River Piano Group and the Brazilian Master Concert Artist Dr. Caio Pagano, who is also the piano tutor of Mr.Leng Tshua, Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Pearl River Piano Group. Mr. Leng Tshua met Dr. Caio Pagano when he was invited with a full scholarship to study piano at the College of Fine Art at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona USA. Mr. Leng Tshua was student of Dr. Caio Pagano at the School of Music.
Dr. Caio Pagano is an internationally renowned concert pianist, teacher and scholar. He is a distinguished professor of piano at Arizona State University since 1986 having earned the honor of Regent Professor of Piano at this institution. He is the recipient of many piano performance awards in Europe and in his native country, Brazil. Pagano has performed throughout four continents in more than 600 public performances as recital soloist, chamber musician and as soloist with orchestras. He has premiered 24 works in concert halls worldwide, 16 of these were works written and dedicated to him by the composers, including several concerti for piano and orchestra. He has also recorded several of these works. Pagano was the first pianist to perform the complete works of Schoenberg in several capitals of the world.
Among the remarkable premieres was the performance of Pousseur’s Apostrophe, along with Beethoven’s Diabelli variations in Washington D.C. and New York City, which received following reviews: “The Pousseur was transcendent, and Beethoven was absolutely first-class, simultaneously idiomatic and original”(The New York Times). “I started jotting comments after each variation, but I abandoned that as I realized I was being presented with a conception that was an incandescent entity”(the Washington Post). Pagano, who is regularly featured on radio including recent highlights on National Public Radio USA, has regularly appeared in the BBC in London, Norddeutsche Rundfunk in Germany, Voice of America in Washington D.C., Radio Hilversum in Holland, Radio de la Suisse Romande in Switzerland and National Broadcasting in Portugal to name just a few.
As Professor at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, Caio Pagano created the International Biennial of Music in the 70’s, which attracted many internationally acclaimed artists who collaborated with him (including Saschko Gawriloff, Cristof Caskel, Raphael Hillyer, Werner Taube, Henry Schuman). He also toured with Pierre Fournier, Janos Starker, Thomas Friedli, Szymon Goldberg, Albor Rosenfeld, the St.Petersburg Quartet, Maria João Pires, Gerard Caussé and the Jacques Thibaud Trio. Caio has been a featured artist at the Miami New World Festival, the Washington Interamerican Fest, the Grenoble Festival, the Megève Festival, the Montpellier Festival and many others.
In partnership with Maria João Pires, Pagano created the Centre for Studies of the Arts in Portugal (www.belgais.net). He recorded with her “Sounds of Belgais”, for DGG.
Summit, Soundset, Deutsche Grammophon and Glissando labels published his acclaimed recordings. One of his most notable recordings “Music for Children” by Heitor Villa-Lobos has received rave reviews which included “CD of the month” by BBC Music Magazine, and other magnificent reviews on Gramophone (Great Britain), CD Compact (Spain) and Fanfare (USA).
Caio Pagano combines a profound knowledge of the Arts, Literature and Music, which characterizes his interpretations as authoritative and unique. His transcendent technique is accompanied by exuberant lyricism, intellect and a polished sense of style. The Washington Post’s reviewer, Joseph McLellan, may have summed it up the best: “Pagano is such a fine performer that any opportunity to hear him should be seized”.
Today, we are so honored to have the opportunity with Dr. Caio Pagano! As a leading musical instrument enterprise and the world’s largest piano manufacturer , we are so proud to have invited Dr. Caio Pagano the international superstar of piano to come to China, to Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group, to perform at the Kayserburg Concert Hall and to share with all the music fans in China.
When the concert began with great applause from the audience, Dr Caio Pagano step on the stage, sitting in front of the Kayserburg full concert grand, starting with Bach-Siloti- Organ Prelude in g minor, followed by Schumann-Arabeske op.18, then on to Debussy’s Arabesque, Claire de Lune, with a quick turn to lively Villa Lobos-Na corda da viola, and finally returned to Johannes Brahms- Andante op.5 before half-time. Crystal clear tonal mastery imbued rich melodies flowed through the fingers of pianist Pagano, the lively rhythm, distinctive style and outstanding performance offered an audio-visual feast of a lifetime!
After a short intermission, The second half began with Chopin’s Nocturne op.9＃ 1 (Farewell Waltz), Polonaise op.40 #2 (military), Largo op.58, concluded with Liszt’s Valse Oubliée, Hungarian Rhapsody #11 which brought down the house; with the audience exploded into standing ovations. Pagano’s performance brought to the audience the unique live music experience from bygone eras; with fantastic sampling of Pagano’s piano art never before heard in Guangzhou.
Pagano played with melodious control and orchestral precision, he amazed the audience with the Kayserburg concert grand in extracting vast contrast of colors and great spectrum of tonality throughout the entire program. The concert was accompanied by bursts of applause, and climaxed with two encores before curtains.
After the concert, the audience was reluctant to leave for a long time. Crowds of people came to the hall to ask for autographs, and then lined up to take photos with the great master Caio Pagano.
After the autograph session, Mr. Xiao Wei, Vice President of Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group, and Mr. Leng Tshua, Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group received Dr. Caio Pagano for a prestigious reception in the 5th floor VIP room of Pearl River Piano Group Cultural Center, and jointly presented the Kayserburg Brand Ambassador award to Dr. Caio Pagano.
Finally, Dr. Pagano wrote an inscription to commemorate the occasion, “My deepest gratitude for this very special invitation; it was a pleasure to play on that warm Kayserburg, that responded so well to my intentions. I must mention also the particular quality of the Kayserburg Hall, that reverberated and esonated so clear. Thank You, dedicated crew and staff of Pearl River for all the kindness that made my visit unforgettable.”
Dr. Caio Pagano piano concert debut in China concluded with perfect ending. Next year in 2020, Dr.Caio Pagano will celebrate his 80th birthday with Pearl River Piano Group; a world tour with the Kayserburg is already in plan, bringing wonderful music to the world, and building friendship between the East and the West… stay tuned!
Watch the concert here.
