Hoson House is delighted to present the brilliant saxophone & paino duo. You will fully enjoy the excitement and intimacy of the first-rate performance of the husband-and-wife team by a saxophonist John Hallberg and a pianist Wenjing Liu-Hallberg. Please join!!
Program:
- Francois Borne: Carmen Fantasy
- Barry Cockcroft: Rock Me!
- Frederick Lesemann : Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano
- Cesar Franck : Sonata in A Major
John Hallberg, a Southern California native, is highly in demand as both a performer and instructor in the Southern California area and ranks among the most esteemed and admired saxophonists of his generation. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Sweden, Hong Kong, and across the United States. Hallberg’s career has taken him to many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Segerstrom Hall, The Englert Theater, Orange County Performing Arts Center, McCormick Place, Bovard Auditorium, Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts Concert Hall, as well as other numerous university campuses, and can be seen and heard on broadcasts of UITV, KUSC, and KCCK.
Hallberg is currently on faculty at The Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles as a Saxophone Affiliate Teacher for the Jumpstart Program, a Saxophone Student Instructor at the USC Thornton School of Music, and an Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at California State University, Fullerton. His students have garnered high recognition and praise as saxophonists in their own right. They have successfully won positions in several California State honor bands, and have been accepted to leading music programs, including the USC Thornton School of Music, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory, CSUF School of Music, and the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music.
Described as a passionate, yet intense pianist full of musicality, Wenjing Liu-Hallberg, a solo performer and chamber musician, has performed throughout the United States, China, and Italy. A solo pianist of national and international acclaim, Dr. Liu received the first-prize at the American Protégé International Competition in New York City, Asia Teenager Piano Competition in China, second-prize in the 17th American Piano Competition of Yantai China, and was also a finalist in the Schlern International Piano Competition in Italy and The Kankakee Piano Concerto Competition in the United States. As a chamber musician, she performed in various groups and venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City and Vὅls Town Hall in Italy. Wenjing has performed all over the world in recitals and festival performances in Italy, China, and the United States. Besides her Carnegie Hall debut in 2015, other notable appearances include performances in the China Embassy in Washington D.C, and Steinway Hall in New York City. She has also performed at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (Italy), Schlern Music Festival (Italy), PianoSummer in New Paltz (New York), and Rebecca Pennys Piano Festival (Florida).
Beginning her piano studies at the early age of 6, Wenjing Liu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from University of Iowa under the guidance of Russian pianist Ksenia Nosikova, and a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from Illinois State University. Her other instructors include Yuanji Fan, Gellert Modos, and Tuyen Tonnu.