"Pianist Joel Fan joined the orchestra on the second half of the program for Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Like many of his other works, Rachmaninoff wrote the set of variations to highlight his own skills as a piano soloist—he was the pianist for its premiere with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1934. Fan navigated the virtuosic minefield with daring, grace, and wonderful technique, without over-emotionalizing those melodic passages that have become synonymous with Rachmaninoff’s 20th-century romanticism. Fan is also a master of rhythm as a storyteller as was evidenced by his encore piece, Piazzolla’s “Flora’s Game,” the second of the 3 Preludes for Piano." - Alan Sherrod, Metro Pulse
Labels: Joel Fan, West of the Sun