In light of President Reif’s announcement on March 10th regarding COVID-19, this event has been CANCELED.
On behalf of Music and Theater Arts and the MIT Community, I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your support in Music and Theater at MIT. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact performance@mit.edu
Alex Gu is currently a second-year undergraduate student at MIT studying computer science. Alex grew up in Carmel, Indiana, where he studied piano with Chun Chi An, a former faculty member at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Alex has performed annual recitals featuring works of Chopin, Liszt, and Mozart. In addition, Alex has participated in many regional and state-wide piano competitions. Alex was the first prize award winner of the Indiana Piano Teacher Association Contest in 2017, and was the runner-up of the New World piano concerto competition in 2018, during which he played the first movement of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto.
In his past year at MIT, Alex has been studying piano under Yukiko Sekino, a current faculty member of the New England Conservatory. In his recitals last year, he performed works by Beethoven and Chopin. He has also accompanied for violin and is a member of MIT’s Chamber Music Society. In addition to classical music, Alex enjoys free-form piano improvisation, music production, and creating dance remixes of popular songs.
Program
Sonata No. 17, Op. 31, No. 2 in D minor "Tempest" (1802) Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
I. Largo - Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegretto
Rain Tree Sketch (1982) Toru Takemitsu
(1930-1996)
Rain Tree Sketch II (1992) Toru Takemitsu
(1930-1996)
Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 (1841) Frédéric Chopin
(1810-1849)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 (1847) Franz Liszt
(1811-1866)
Funded by the late Mr. Cherry L. Emerson, Jr. (SM, 1941) the Emerson Program offers merit-based financial assistance for private lessons to MIT students of outstanding achievement on their instrument or voice in classical, jazz or world music via competitive auditions. Each academic year, the Emerson program for private study offers half scholarships and full scholarships to approximately 50 qualified students out of about 100 who apply and audition for scholarships and fellowships. Auditions are held at the start of the fall semester. Private teacher selections, made in consultation with the music faculty, may include instructors from MIT or from the greater Boston musical community.
