Young Pianists Lead Garden-Themed Concert with Record Hands-On Participation
- concertsforallsydn
- May 6
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
29 April 2025, Glebe — Concerts for All presented another garden-themed storytelling concert at Master Music Studio, the first for this year's series. Our performers—all exemplary young pianists—brought advanced repertoire spanning Bach to Liszt to life through a garden-themed narrative. We were especially pleased to see how our performers engaged with the audience beyond their performances, and how many audience members stayed longer than usual for the hands-on instrument exploration after the concert.
Programme & The Concert Story
The programme featured different compositional periods, all woven into a garden-themed narrative:
Bach's Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971: I. Allegro
Performed by Léanore Gillet (Teacher: Grace Kim)
Debussy's Estampes, L.100, I. Pagodes
Performed by Emma Rose Koeswandy (Teacher: Natalia Ricci)
Mozart's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 281, 1st movement
Performed by Symphony Shi (Teacher: Scott Lam)
Bach's Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 875
Performed by Camilla Choi (Teacher: Luka Okros)
Liszt's Etude in B-flat minor, Op. 6/S. 136, No. 12
Performed by Alexander Liu (Teacher: James Guan)
Liszt's Grandes Études de Paganini, S. 141: No. 3 in G-Sharp Minor "La Campanella"
Performed by Jordan Zhao (Teachers: Alexey Koltakov, Christopher Malek)
With an all-piano programme, our audience got to experience the versatility of the instrument across musical periods. From Bach's structured elegance to Debussy's impressionistic colours and Liszt's virtuosic brilliance, our performers showcased the piano to the fullest. They brought the best out of the Steinway B-211 grand piano that Theme & Variations Piano Services provided the venue.
Through the narrative, we guided listeners of all ages on a journey of a neglected garden returning to life. Our bee character helped point out specific musical elements to listen for, making even complex pieces more approachable without simplifying the music itself. Each piece represented a different aspect of the garden's revival in our story—for instance, Symphony Shi's performance of Mozart's Piano Sonata with its elegant structure represented the garden beginning to find its form again, while Jordan Zhao's sparkling rendition of Liszt's "La Campanella" created a magical atmosphere that brought the garden into full bloom.
Beyond the performance, the theme also engaged the imagination and creativity of our performers. It was delightful to see some of our performers embrace the theme in their own ways—they weren't required to do so. Léanore Gillet went the extra mile and hand-crocheted flower hair clips specifically for the event the night before!
I really loved playing in the garden-themed concert—it felt like the music and flowers came together! I hand-made flower hair clips the night before to match the theme. It was so fun to be part of something so beautiful! – Léanore Gillet
New & Returning Performers: All Outstanding Pianists
We were especially proud of our returning performers – all accomplished musicians – whose musical growth was evident in this concert. Camilla, Emma Rose, Léanore and Symphony have already joined us in over 3 community concerts and are active members of the Concerts for All community. It is encouraging to witness their confidence and musical understanding develop through these performance opportunities.
It is Alexander's second time performing in our Community Concerts, while Jordan has just joined our growing registry of featured performers. Both of the performers and their families have expressed that they are excited to participate in our upcoming events, contributing further to our not-for-profit initiatives. Alexander even wore his school's uniform, as a proud student and representative of The King's School.
Music Trivia & Hands-On Instrument Exploration
Instrument Exploration Draws Largest Group Yet
As we always do, we kicked off the Community Concert with our Music Trivia session, where kids and adults alike were enthusiastic about identifying famous classical pieces to win prizes. Popular tunes were quickly identified, including a lesser-known Grieg piece. This activity set the stage for attentive listening throughout the performances.
After the concert, we were thrilled to see our largest group yet—both children and adults—gather for the hands-on instrument exploration, which also lasted longer than any previous session. Many participants eagerly tried the instruments, which included the violin and cello along with the piano.
Our pianist performers, who are skilled on multiple instruments, happily guided everyone: Symphony and Emma Rose with the violin, Alexander with the cello. This enthusiastic and extended participation is exactly what we aim for! We encourage and nurture music appreciation, from regular listening to music-making.
We're proud of how this garden-themed piano concert brought together young performers and audience members in a shared musical experience. By presenting high-quality classical music performances in a format that everyone can appreciate, we continue our efforts to build bridges between outstanding young musicians and community listeners of all ages.
Events Coming Up
Stay tuned for more engaging events in the coming months! We will be in Willoughy for our next Young Maestros Community Concert on May 18th, featuring young musicians in a standard concert format with engaging piece introductions—still with the music trivia and instrument exploration you all enjoy, of course:
We are celebrating our 1st Anniversary soon, and in two sessions! To mark this milestone, Australian pianist and International Prizewinner Joshua Han will present a compelling programme featuring works by Bartók, Liszt, Fauré, and Chopin. We will celebrate our growing community, initiatives, supporters, and unveil our plans for music education. If you are interested in joining us, and to see how you can be a part of upcoming projects, visit our Events page.
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