Return to Prokofiev marks pianist’s Valdosta Symphony debut
Published 6:58 am Friday, April 22, 2022
- Submitted PhotoBeibei Lin plays Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major, Op. 10, with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra Saturday, April 23.
VALDOSTA – Beibei Lin makes her Valdosta Symphony Orchestra solo debut playing the same piece that marked her debut as a soloist at the age of 17.
Lin performs Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major, Op. 10, a work that Howard Hsu, Valdosta Symphony music director and conductor, describes as a “grand and muscular” concerto. The work joins an evening of muscular composition as the orchestra is also scheduled to perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s famed Fifth Symphony and Jean Sibelius’s “Finlandia,” Op. 26, Saturday, April 23.
As for the Prokofiev concerto, Lin describes it as “brimming with youthful optimism.”
“One can hear the bravado that frequently accompanies a talented young mind which has not been marred by the burdens and disappointments of life,” she said. “From the opening chord, one can hear a certainty and confidence that must have characterized Prokofiev’s personality at this stage in life.”
A “rehearsal nightmare” was one burden that Prokofiev faced in finishing the concerto in 1912, Hsu said. “During the rehearsal process for the premiere performance of his First Piano Concerto, Prokofiev had to spend five hours writing out transposed horn parts.”
Lin added, “While we frequently think of Prokofiev as someone who treated the piano as a percussive instrument, generating brilliant, dissonant, and even harsh and sarcastic tones, his second movement showcases his capacity for lyricism marked by lush harmonies imbued with a chromaticism that elicits incredible colors from both the piano and orchestra. The third movement contains the cadenza that we have come to expect in concerti and a closing material that references the first movement, making this concerto a cyclic work: the beginning is its end.”
Lin is in her third year as an assistant professor of piano, teaching music at Valdosta State University.
“The people we work with can make or break a career,” she said. “When I was offered the position here, my piano professor Dr. Heidi Louise Williams, who knew my colleague Dr. Joshua Pifer, exclaimed, ‘oh you two will make a dream team.’ And it’s been true. It’s been a joy working with him and my other colleagues here at VSU.”
Lin started playing piano at the age of 8.
“A little late for many pianists but my mother bought me a piano for my eighth birthday after much pleading and made me promise I would never quit,” she said. “I almost broke that promise during my early teens but she held me to it. When I was around 14, I began to challenge myself with how much I could practice and progress, and started aiming toward music for college because of the progress I witnessed myself making.”
The progress paid off. Lin maintains an active performance schedule, in addition to her teaching.
“Significant performances include collaborative appearances at the 2016 International Double Reed Society Conference and a solo appearance at the 2017 Women Composers Festival of Hartford,” according to her VSU biography. “In the summer, she serves as a collaborative pianist at the MasterWorks Festival at Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. She has presented solo and collaborative guest artist recitals and masterclasses at institutions throughout the United States.”
She made her debut at MasterWorks as a 17-year-old, playing the same Prokofiev concerto she plays this weekend with the VSO. Playing the same piece, she said, for her performance debut and her VSO debut is a coincidence.
“The truth is, few pianists get the opportunity to play concerti repertoire regularly because there are just so many of us and so few orchestras in comparison, so it’s an absolute honor and joy to be able to play with VSO,” Lin said. “When I was asked to play with VSO, I provided Howard with a list of concerti I know and he picked from that list. I don’t know why he picked Prokofiev but I’m glad he did.”
Valdosta Symphony Orchestra presents “Triumphant,” featuring Sibelius’ “Finlandia,” Op. 26, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major, Op. 10, with Beibei Lin on piano, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23, Whitehead Auditorium, corner of Oak and Brookwood. Pre-concert chat scheduled for 6:45 p.m. More information: Call VSU College of the Arts Outreach at (229) 333-2150 or visit www.valdostasymphony.org.