Join us for an afternoon of music that journeys through serenity, turmoil, grief, and triumph. The program will open with Chopin's Barcarolle, Op. 60—a lyrical work that portrays an evening in a gondola drifting through the moonlit canals of Venice. Scriabin's Sonata No. 2 then offers a contrasting vision of water—one swept up in fantasy and turbulence that paints the shifting seascapes and storms. The recital concludes with Schubert's Drei Klavierstücke, one of the final piano works of his life. Written during a time of illness and poverty, this set of pieces reveal the composer grappling with despair through haunting melodies and moments of lost hope; yet, at the end, his radiating resilience and brilliance cuts through—culminating in a powerful, triumphant finale.
The recital will approximately be 1 hour long without intermission.
Program
- Chopin - Barcarolle in F# Major, Op. 60
- Scriabin - Sonata No. 2 in G# Minor
- Schubert - Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946
Sophie Sun is a fourth year undergraduate student at MIT, where she studies piano with Heng-Jin Park. She was selected as a Emerson/Harris Scholarship recipient for three years before studying abroad in London during the Fall semester, where she continued her piano studies with Clive Williamson. Now, having returned to Boston, she feels grateful to MIT's Music and Theatre Arts Department for sponsoring her solo recital, and she warmly invites you to join her for this special performance.
Originally from New Zealand, Sophie began playing piano at the age of 12 and has since accumulated many regional awards from both solo and chamber music competitions. She finds joy in expressing deep emotions through her playing and cherishes the opportunity to connect with listeners—whether in a recital hall or simply playing in an airport while waiting for her flight. Also an avid chamber musician, she has been an active member of MIT’s Chamber Music Society, performing in piano quartets and collaborating with instrumentalists and vocalists as an accompanist.
Outside of piano, she enjoys dancing bachata and salsa, petting cute cats and dogs, and watching cooking competitions.
