BIS Kerson Leong & Philip Chiu

• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1:
• 1No. 1 in G Minor (arr. J. Joachim for violin and piano)03:12
• 2No. 17 in F-Sharp Minor (arr. F. Kreisler for violin and piano)03:55
• Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962):
• 3Liebesfreud03:32
• 4Liebesleid03:41
• Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787): Orfeo ed Euridice, Act II:
• 5Dance of the Blessed Spirits, "Melodie" (arr. F. Kreisler for violin and piano)03:05
• Béla Bartók (1881-1945): Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56, BB 68 (Arr. Z. Székely for Violin & Piano):
• 6No. 1. Jocul cu bata (Stick Dance)01:24
• 7No. 2. Braul (Sash Dance)00:28
• 8No. 3. Pe loc (In One Place)01:19
• 9No. 4. Buciumeana (Horn Dance)01:25
• 10No. 5. Poarga Romaneasca (Romanian Polka)00:32
• 11No. 6. Maruntel (Fast Dance)00:54
• Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951): 2 Fairy Tales, Op. 20:
• 12No. 1. Allegro con espressione (arr. J. Heifetz for violin and piano)02:55
• George Gershwin (1898-1937): 3 Preludes (Arr. J. Heifetz for Violin & Piano):
• 13No. 1 in B-Flat Major: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso01:41
• 14No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor: Andante con moto e poco rubato03:35
• 15No. 3 in E-Flat Minor: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso01:13
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): 14 Songs, Op. 34:
• 16No. 14. Vocalise in E Minor (arr. M. Press for violin and piano)04:43
• Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Suite bergamasque (arr. A. Roelens for violin and piano):
• 17III. Clair de lune (arr. A. Roelens for violin and piano)05:05
• 18La plus que lente (arr. L. Roques for violin and piano)04:27
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883):
• 19Albumblatt in E Major (arr. A. Wilhelmj for violin and piano)04:26
• Joseph Achron (1886-1943):
• 20Hebrew Melody, Op. 33 (version for violin and piano)05:27
• Total Runtime56:59

Info for BIS

For their first album, some artists might feature repertoire they performed to win an international competition; others might select rarely heard works. But Kerson Leong chose still another route: a series of encores treasured by violinists of both years past and today. “I find that sometimes you can say a lot with very little. I thought that encores, which anyone can relate to, could be the ideal way to introduce myself,” he states in an interview.

Kerson Leong carefully handpicked the works. “I looked at Heifetz’ and Kreisler’s transcriptions and wanted also to introduce some pieces that people may not have heard as much”. For example, the haunting Hebrew Melody by Arnold Schoenberg’s friend Joseph Yulyevich Achron, a favourite of Jascha Heifetz, or Medtner’s Fairy Tale, a piece his accomplice Philip Chiu knows well in its original version for piano. “I wanted to balance flavours, to juxtapose lesser-known pieces with some that people would instantly recognize and could relate to”.

Kerson Leong gained international recognition in 2010 at the age of 13 when he won the Junior First Prize at the Menuhin Competition in Oslo. He won the Young Soloist Prize 2015 of the Radios francophones publiques. He is also the Grand Prize winner of the Stepping Stone 2014 and a five time Grand Prize winner (2005-2009) at the Canadian Music Competition. In 2013, he won the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition, as well as First Prize at the OSM Standard Life Competition.

"An interview with Kerson Leong reveals that his aim for his debut album is ‘to balance flavours, to juxtapose lesser-known pieces with some that people would instantly recognise and could relate’. In its modest ambition, the disc succeeds admirably" (Gramophone Magazine)

Kerson Leong, violin
Philip Chiu, piano

Kerson Leong
Canadian violinist Kerson Leong is quickly emerging as one of the finest musicians and instrumentalists of his generation. He continues to win over both colleagues and audiences alike not only with his “supreme mastery” (Le Devoir) of his instrument or his unmistakable tone, but also his unique ability to combine an honest, intellectual approach with raw intensity and spontaneity, resulting in a truly compelling musicality.

Kerson first gained international attention by winning Junior First Prize at the Menuhin Competition 2010 in Oslo. After subsequent debuts at major international festivals as well as four return performances with the Oslo Philharmonic, he has since distinguished himself as a powerful and individual musical voice, having played in such venues as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Wigmore Hall, the Auditorium du Louvre and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

A sought-after soloist, Kerson was hand-picked by Yannick Nézet-Séguin to be his artist-in-residence with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal during the 18/19 season and has performed with such ensembles as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra among others. Other recent highlights include recording John Rutter’s Visions, a piece written especially for him, with the composer himself and the Aurora Chamber Orchestra, after giving its world premiere in London, UK.

Music outreach and pedagogy are growing passions for Kerson. Renowned schools such as Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the Sibelius Academy have recognized his unique approach as well as his ability to inspire the new generation by inviting him to teach and lecture. A natural communicator on and off the stage, he is cementing his significant role in reaching young people and potential music lovers with his art.

Kerson is an associated artist of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, where he was mentored by Augustin Dumay.

Kerson performs on the ‘ex Bohrer’ Guarneri del Gesu violin courtesy of Canimex Inc, Drummondville (Quebec), Canada.

Booklet for BIS