The Moon — Zihan Sun’s Piano Recital

Programme

• J.S. Bach – Partita II, BWV 826

• W.A. Mozart – Piano Sonata in F Major, K.332

• YingFei Yang — When Will The Bight Moon Appear? - for piano and soprano ( World Premiere)

• Wang Jianzhong – Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon

• Chen Peixun – Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake

Programme Note

This programme explores artistic dialogue between Eastern and Western musical traditions through the shared poetic symbolism of the moon.

Beginning with the structural clarity of Bach’s Partita No. 2 and the lyrical elegance of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in F major, the concert reflects the foundations of the European classical repertoire. The programme then turns to works rooted in Chinese musical heritage.

YingFei Yang’s When Will The Bright Moon Appear? (World Premiere) brings together soprano and piano in a contemporary interpretation of a classical Chinese poetic theme. Wang Jianzhong’s Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon and Chen Peixun’s Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake reimagine traditional Chinese melodies through expressive pianistic language.

Through this cross-cultural programme, the concert highlights music as a universal language that bridges traditions and fosters international cultural exchange.

About the Artist

Zihan Sun (Hannah) is an award-winning pianist with a distinguished international performance profile across Europe and Asia. She has appeared in Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, establishing a recognised cross-cultural artistic presence.

She is the recipient of multiple international distinctions, including Absolute First Prize at the UK International Music Competition, where she was also named Pianist of the Season and Versatile Pianist, achieving Absolute Winner titles across multiple repertoire categories. Earlier accolades include First Prize at the Asian Youth Music Competition and First Prize at the Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition.

Zihan completed her Advanced postgraduate Diploma and Master of Performance (Piano) with Distinction at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and was awarded the Helen Rachael Mackaness Trust Award in recognition of her artistic excellence and professional standing.

Composer: Yingfei Yang (b. 2001, Shanghai, China) is a composer currently based in Manchester, UK.

She has collaborated with leading performers such as clarinetist Heather Roche and violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved, as well as ensembles and orchestras including Riot Ensemble, The Hallé, and the Manchester Contemporary Orchestra.

Her music has been performed internationally at venues and institutions such as the National Opera Center (USA), Hallé St. Peter’s, The Bridgewater Hall, the Manchester Museum, and the Whitworth Gallery. Yang is committed to advancing the presence of cross cultural perspectives within the contemporary Western music repertoire.