Johnson County Community College
Press Release
College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122
1/14/08
Story by Peggy Graham
Pangea Piano Project Showcases Two Talented Pianists
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Pangea Piano Project, composed of Ya-Ting Liou and Blas Gonzalez, will perform at noon Monday, Feb. 11, in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, as part of the Ruel Joyce Recital Series, free classical music concerts featuring Kansas City artists.
The husband-and-wife duo have performed as the Pangea Piano Project internationally in New Zealand, Argentina and Taiwan, presenting new compositions as well as standard piano repertoire.
Taiwanese pianist Liou has performance highlights including appearances at the Kennedy Center; the State of the Art at the State Department, Washington, D.C.; Yamaha Hall, New York; and Kaoshiung Cultural Center and Taipei National Concert Hall, Taiwan. She has been invited to present master classes at the National Conservatory of Music, Argentina, and the Taiwan National University of Arts. Currently, Liou is a student in the DMA performance program at the Conservatory of Music, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she is also on the piano faculty of the conservatory’s Community Music and Dance Academy.
Gonzalez, pianist and teacher, has regularly played and lectured on piano works by contemporary composers such as Stockhuasen, Crumb, Legeti, James Mobberley and Gerardo Gandini in Argentina, Taiwan and the United States. An avid participant of unconventional projects, Gonzalez is a collaborator of Argentmusica, a foundation dedicate to the performance and recording of Argentinean art music for piano and chamber groups. He has premiered and commissioned several works for piano, solo, chamber music and piano with electronic sounds. As a composer, he has written works for solo piano and instrumental ensembles. Gonzalez is a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The Ruel Joyce series continues at noon Monday in the Recital Hall with:
• Feb. 18 Gregory Sandomirsky, violin; Bram Wijnands, piano (Yardley Hall)
• Feb. 25 Steven Elisha, cello
• March 3 Ellen Campbell, horn; JoDee Davis, trombone; Patricia Higdon, piano
• March 10 Lyra Pherigo, flute; Robert Pherigo, piano
• March 17 Selah String Quartet
•March 24 Lyric Arts Trio
• March 31 Tim Timmons, saxophone; Patricia Higdon, piano
The series is named for Ruel Joyce, a longtime jazz bassist who headed the local musicians federation from 1977 until his death in 1989. The concerts are cosponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Community Services and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3605.
