Chamber Music Series Hosts Susanne Yi-Jia Hou and Daniel Spiegel

Susanne Yi-Jia Hou

Daniel Spiegel

WOOSTER, Ohio - The 21st season of the Wooster Chamber Music Series will come to a close with a performance by violinist Susanne Yi-Jia Hou and pianist Daniel Spiegel on Sunday, April 23, at 3 p.m., in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.). The program will feature works by Tartini, Respighi, Kreisler, and de Falla.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens, and are available at the Wilson Bookstore in Lowry Center (1189 Beall Ave.) and at Maurer Pharmacy (1827 Cleveland Rd.).

Yi-Jia Hou is a young violinist who has conquered many of the most challenging pieces ever written for the violin. She has won three gold medals with unanimous decisions at international violin competitions, and most recently won the Canada Council for the Arts Instrument Bank Competition. In addition, she was awarded the loan of a 1729 Guarneri del Jesu (one of a family of violin makers second only in quality to the Stradavari family). She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at The Julliard School and has performed such epic works as Paganini's Twenty-four Caprices for Solo Violin, all 10 of Beethoven's Piano and Violin Sonatas, and the complete collection of Brahms Violin and Piano's Sonatas and Piano Trios.

Spiegel completed his Master of Music degree in piano performance at The Juilliard School and his Bachelor of Music degree at Peabody Conservatory while concurrently earning an English degree at John Hopkins University. He has won numerous competitions, leading to performances with the National Symphony Orchestra. He performs extensively as a collaborative artist with both instrumentalists and vocalists, and has worked with such artists as Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer. His performances of violin and piano works in Ottawa and Montreal were recorded by the Candian Broadcasting Corporation for broadcast throughout Canada and Europe. He has also performed chamber music at such venues as Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. In addition, he has served as pianist for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, a chamber ensemble dedicated exclusively to new music.

For additional information about the concert, please call 330-263-2115. The series will return in the fall, beginning Oct. 1 with a performance by Emerson String Quartet.