Mo Xu, Piano: Chopin, Ginastera, Gershwin, Liszt
$39-$59 (student/senior discounts available at the box office)
- Mo Xu, piano
Alberto Ginastera — 12 Preludios americanos
George Gershwin — Three Preludes
Franz Liszt — Après une Lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata ("Dante Sonata")
About Mo Xu, piano
Mo Xu, a passionate and dedicated classical pianist, was previously a recording engineer during her undergraduate years. Mo worked as a sound engineer assistant at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games softball stadium, in addition to several other professional sporting events. During her undergraduate years, she had many opportunities to record various types of music, both live and in the studio. A pivotal experience in Mo's life was the night she recorded a classical piano recital at the China Conservatory of Music. She realized she had discovered her true interest, which was to become a professional classical pianist.
Pursuing her dream, Mo switched her major to piano performance when she moved to the United States in 2010. Since then, she has performed at many prestigious venues, including Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall, Bezanson Recital Hall, Kemp Recital Hall, ISU Center for the Performing Arts and Sweeney Concert Hall. Mo is committed to bringing classical music to her local community and sharing thoughts and conversation with the general audience. She has performed at Westminster Village, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Oaknoll Retirement Community and Lathrop Retirement Community.
Aside from her longstanding appreciation for standard repertoire, Mo has a particularly strong interest in 20th-century and contemporary music. She has performed many atonal works from memory, including Arnold Schoenberg's Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11 and Wladimir Vogel's Epitaffio per Alban Berg. She played for the world premiere of David Maslanka's Symphony No. 9 and Carl Schimmel's Oulipian Episodes. She also collaborates with other instrumentalists on contemporary chamber works year-round, such as compositions by Andrea Clearfield, Libby Larsen, and David Canfield.
Mo received second prize at the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, second prize at the "Golden Classical Music Awards" International Competition and honorable mentions at the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition and the Paderewski International Piano Competition in Connecticut.
Mo is from Changchun, China. She is a graduate of the Communication University of China, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Recording Arts. She earned her Master of Music degree in piano performance from Illinois State University, where she studied with Dr. Carlyn Morenus, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Dr. Uriel Tsachor.
https://www.mo-xu.com/