4th QVB Classical Pop-Up alongside Piano+
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
From left to right: Yichao Ma (Director, Concerts for All), Mark Coughlan (Executive Director, Piano+), Peter Leunig (Director of Philanthropy, Piano+), and Jared Byrne (Guest Experience Manager, QVB)
28 February 2026, Sydney — The recent 4th QVB Classical Pop-Up Concert brought such delight to the heart of Sydney, bringing public performances of classical works to the forefront of the community. We were exceptionally fortunate to welcome a special guest artist to the stage for this event: Mark Coughlan, the Executive Director of Piano+ Australia, who has dedicated his work in the industry as a concert pianist, conductor, artistic director, educator, and company director.
"I think Concerts for All is a wonderful enterprise. Congratulations [to the team] for doing such a great job in running this, and for donating this beautiful piano to QVB so that we have a great instrument to play on." –Mark Coughlan, Executive Director of Piano+ Australia
Our performers delivered a program that featured a diverse array of classical works, beginning with Jessica Chen—who plays violin and flute, apart from the piano. She captured the crowd by playing the melancholic arpeggios of Chopin’s posthumous Waltz No. 14 in E Minor. Violinist Allen Lu, who at just 14 has already won top prizes in the Sydney Eisteddfod and international festivals, took the stage next. He delivered a compelling interpretation of the Prelude and Malinconia from Ysaÿe’s Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, an unaccompanied work with complex Bach-inspired counterpoint.
As a Concerts for All tradition, we then took a musical interlude for some crowd-favorite music trivia! Director Yichao Ma played several recognisable classical tunes on the piano, inviting the audience to name the pieces and their composers. We were pleased by the energy of the crowd, especially the children, who participated in greater numbers than at our past Classical Pop-Up events. With the audience refreshed and eager, the program resumed soon after.
Arthur Feng, who impressively achieved his CMusA with high distinction just a few years after beginning his piano studies in 2022, explored the late-Romantic era with his performance of Bortkiewicz’s Etude Op. 29 No. 3 "La brune", a piece characterised by its lush, extended harmonies and broad melodic lines. Angel Quingaiza, who like Arthur, grew to love piano-playing later than many of his peers, gave a nuanced performance of two of Chopin's well-known works: Etude Op. 25, No. 1, more commonly known as the Aeolian Harp and the Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2.
Clarinettist Lambert Tang was the very first clarinet performer in Concerts for All's programs. He is an impressive young musician known to have perfect pitch and musical sensitivity. Lambert performed the Allegro from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major accompanied by pianist Jasmine Yang. His playing highlighted the instrument's warm timbre woven with his legato phrasing. Aiden Li, a dedicated multi-instrumentalist, performed Kreisler’s Praeludium & Allegro alongside his teacher, Sun Roh. This piece demonstrated his impressive technique especially on its rhythmic, fast-paced sections.
Symphony Shi, a year 9 music scholar with numerous international competition victories to her name, performed the formidable Saint-Saëns/Liszt/Horowitz transcription of Danse macabre, Op. 40, transforming the orchestral original into a dense solo filled with rapid chromatic scales, expansive leaps, and percussive octaves. Mark Coughlan brought the concert to a close by performing Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, a masterpiece that integrates the rhythmic energy and blues-inflected harmonic language of jazz.
Performance Snippets
Autumn Piano School at Piano+
We’re excited to share an opportunity from our friends at Piano+ for pianists of all ages and levels. The Autumn Piano School (APS) returns to Armidale from 9–12 April 2026 for four days of masterclasses, workshops, and performance opportunities.
It’s a fantastic way to learn from some of Australia’s finest teachers in a relaxed, immersive setting. Whether you’re a student or a studio teacher, we encourage you to submit an Expression of Interest today to secure your place in this April's program.
Visit the Piano+ website for details: https://www.pianoplus.com.au/autumn-piano-school-2026/
Upcoming Classical Pop-Up Concerts
We are always looking forward to welcoming more performers on the QVB stage! We hold our pop-up concerts every 4th Saturday of the month at 3:30pm and our next 2 concerts are on the 28th of March and the 25th of April! See you there!
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