N G CLASSIC's Young Talents Series Invitation Recital 

N G (Next Generation)

N G (No Good)

CLASSIC 

The choice of Meiji Productions “NG Classic” is a chance to meet musicians who will represent our next classical era. 

Cellist Lee Young-eun, the first winner of the Tchaikovsky Instrumental Category 

A performance that pursues the birth of a young classical musician who will represent a new era and a new concept of classical performance. 

This recital by cellist Lee Young-eun will be a time to break down the barrier between classical music and the audience and get closer to the audience by selecting songs from the cello repertoire that seem to speak directly to and appeal to the audience. 

In particular, due to the nature of modern music, it is expected to be an exciting time to experience new music by presenting fresh genres of modern music that can be heard without resistance to hesitant audiences due to the difficulty of easy access.
 
 
 Cellist Youngeun LEE 첼리스트 이영은

Youngeun Lee is a passionate cellist who successfully made her debut by winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition. She has an intensive interest in chamber music, performing frequently in both standard chamber groups and unique ensembles, collaborating with not only piano, strings, and winds but also voice and traditional Korean instruments. She received a merit scholarship for her performance and academic effort throughout her high school, college, and graduate school years.

Ms. Lee also has many interests in studies other than music, such as law, aesthetics, physics, and languages. During her undergraduate studies, she performed multiple times as the principal cellist of the Seoul National University Symphony Orchestra, and graduated as a cello valedictorian. Since college, Ms. Lee has performed with numerous ensembles and toured at venues throughout Korea. As a champion of contemporary music, she has also participated in many modern music ensembles. 

Ms. Lee then graduated from the Tianjin Juilliard School. At TJS, she participated in the Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble faculty-student side-by-side concert, performing music from baroque to contemporary. Focusing on performing in China, she is a member and the co-founder of Trio con Fuoco, and has toured in various venues throughout China, such as Qingdao, Wuhan, Beijing, and Tianjin. She is a current D.M.A. student at the University of Michigan, where she was awarded a full scholarship and teaching assistantship. Since this year, she has been touring the world as a soloist, with locations including but not limited to China, Korea, and the United States.

Pianist Jinzhao Xu 피아니스트 슈 진자오

Pianist Jinzhao Xu, distinguished as the winner and laureate of the KAWAI Music Competition in Japan, the Lyon International Piano Competition in France, and the Romanian Juvenile International Piano Competition in Romania, has consistently demonstrated unparalleled artistry and technical prowess. Garnering triumphs in piano concerto competitions, he has earned coveted opportunities to collaborate with esteemed orchestras, including Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada), Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (China), and Raanana Symphoette (Israel). His performances have graced illustrious venues, including the Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and Taipei Zhongshan Hall, etc.

Simultaneously, he has cultivated a reputation as an accomplished chamber musician and a collaborator. He has performed with renowned Shanghai String Quartet, percussionist June Hahn, Chinese Suona player Zhanzhan Wang. As the founder of the Oak Piano Trio, he, along with his ensemble, clinched the National First Prize in the 2019 MTNA Chamber Music String Competition. Currently, he holds the position of pianist in the chamber group Trio Con Fuoco, and won the first prize of 2024 Briggs Chamber Music Competition at the University of Michigan.

Jinzhao Xu will begin his Doctoral studies at the University of Michigan since 2024 fall, under the guidance of Professor Christopher Harding. He received his Specialist Degree in Collaborative Piano at the U of M, Master of Music in Chamber Music at the Tianjin Juilliard School with the prestigious "Tianjin Juilliard School Prize" for the Graduate Class of 2022, and Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His primary mentors include Professor Xiaohan Wang, Jon Nakamatsu, Yoshikazu Nagai, Martin Katz, and Amy I-Lin Cheng.