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Join us for a special evening of solo and duo piano masterpieces as we kick off the 9th annual San Francisco International Piano Festival. Renowned Hungarian pianist Éva Polgár makes her festival debut, performing music of Barber and Liszt alongside founder and artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur. Don't miss this intimate evening of charming, colorful, and moving piano masterpieces

Samuel Barber Souvenirs

Derek Bermel Turning (1995) 

Franz Liszt Bénédiction et serment for piano four hands, S. 628

    Deux légendes, S. 175

        St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux oiseaux

        St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots

    Gaudeamus igitur (Humoreske) for piano four hands, S. 586

Éva Polgár, piano

Jeffrey LaDeur, piano

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The 9th annual San Francisco International Piano Festival is proud to present opening night at Old First Concerts, continuing the festival's long standing partnership with the series. As the season celebrates a kaleidoscope of international voices, we begin with Samuel Barber's Souvenirs, a charming and sparkling suite of dances reflective of different musical traditions. Derek Bermel's Turning presents a profound postcard in variation form, written after the composer's studies in Ghana. Beginning with a simple hymn tune, the work explores an eclectic palette of musical styles in dramatic fashion. The music of Liszt is featured throughout the evening, a master musical storyteller who exploits the full tonal and technical possibilities of the piano. 

This program features the San Francisco debut of renowned pianist Éva Polgár in solo works by Liszt and in duo works with festival founder and artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur. Ms. Polgár maintains an active and international performance schedule along with her dedication to mentoring the next generation of musicians. Her performances have been heard at Carnegie Hall, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and at prominent venues throughout the United States and her native Hungary. Don't miss this varied and exciting evening of classics and rare gems!

*San Francisco debut 

Samuel Barber Souvenirs for piano four hands

Derek Bermel Turning (1995) 

Franz Liszt Bénédiction et serment for piano four hands, S. 628

    Deux légendes, S. 175

        St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux oiseaux

        St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots

    Gaudeamus igitur (Humoreske) for piano four hands, S. 586

Éva Polgár, piano

Jeffrey LaDeur, piano

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The San Francisco International Piano Festival is proud to present pianist Alexandre Dossin in this solo recital and festival debut. 

Considered by Martha Argerich an “extraordinary musician” and by the international critics a “phenomenon” and “a master of contrasts,” Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin keeps an active performing, recording, and teaching career. Alexandre Dossin is Professor of Piano and Chair of Keyboard at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. Originally from Brazil, Alexandre Dossin is a graduate from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Russia) and holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin (USA).

Mr. Dossin has championed both classic and contemporary composers through performance, recording, and preparation of scores for Schirmer Performance Editions. The recital will include music by George Walker, a composer with whom Mr. Dossin has special affinity, having recorded his complete works for piano on the Naxos label.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear these vital musical voices in masterful performances!

American Piano Music from the last 100 years

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

Selections from Thirteen Anniversaries (1965-1988)

II – In Memoriam: William Kapell

III- For Stephen Sondheim

V- For Leo Smit

VII- In Memoriam: Helen Coates

IX- For Jessica Fleischmann

XII- For Aaron Stern

XIII-In Memoriam: Ellen Goetz

Robert Pollock (b. 1946)

Piano Miniatures (2003-2024)

For George Walker on his 88th Birthday

For George Walker on his 94th Birthday

For George Wallker on his 96th Birthday

Happy 50th Birthday, Maria

For Celeste on her 24th birthday

For Esther on her 50th Birthday

Nine (for Beatrice’s ninth birthday)

For Klazine’s 75th Birthday

G. Walker (1922-2018)

Prelude and Caprice (1945/1941)

Variations on a Kentucky Folk Song (1953)

Guido’s Hand no. 4 (1987)

Piano Sonata No. 5 (2003)

Intermission

H. Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4 (1930-1939)

Prelúdio (Introdução)

Coral (Canto do sertão)

Ária (Cantiga)

Danza (Mindinho)

G. Gershwin (1898-1937)

Rhapsody in Blue (1924)

Alexandre Dossin, piano

*Festival debut

FREE EVENT

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Karina Tseng returns to perform a tour-de-force solo recital at Noontime Concerts. A native of the Bay Area, Karina has established herself as a compelling performer on the international stage. The festival is proud to welcome her back for this special program.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, "Sonata quasi una fantasia"

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Allegro in B minor, Op. 8

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Sonata in B minor, S. 178

Karina Tseng, piano*

*Laureate of the Ross McKee Piano Competition

American pianist Karina Tseng is a San Francisco Bay Area native currently based in Italy and Switzerland. Karina has performed alongside the Vallès Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Festival Orchestra, Palo Alto Philharmonic, and New Millennium Chamber Orchestra, and given recitals in the United States and Italy. She was winner of the 2025 Andrea Baldi Competition in Bologna, Italy, and earned top recognition at the 2025 Ricard Viñes (Lleida, Spain), 2025 National Chopin (Miami, USA), and 2025 Samson François (Nice, France) Competitions. She was also the winner of the 2022 Marian Garcia Competition and a finalist at the 2023 Bösendorfer USASU Competition. In 2020, Karina was inducted into the distinguished MTAC (Music Teachers Association of California) Young Artist Guild, through which she was offered recital opportunities throughout California.

As an artist who cherishes connecting and engaging with her audience, she continues to build a diverse solo and chamber repertoire. Karina is a student of André Gallo at the Fondazione Accademia Internazionale di Imola “Incontri col Maestro.” Previous mentors include Alexander Kobrin, Olya Katsman, Jeffrey LaDeur, and Sujeeva Hapugalle. In addition to her BM in Piano Performance, Karina holds a BS in Business Information Systems (with a Computer Science minor) from the University of Rochester, along with Certificates of Excellence in Chamber Music and Arts Leadership from Eastman. Beyond performance, she is an advocate for arts administration and entrepreneurship, seeking to shape the classical music field not only as a pianist but also by applying her broader skill set to educational and outreach initiatives.

FREE RESERVATION

The McKee Masterclass series has become a staple of the San Francisco International Piano Festival. Distinguished pianist and educator Elizabeth Dorman will launch the series, coaching young artists in masterpieces of the piano literature. All are welcome to this free event!

Young Artists & Repertoire TBA

Praised by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle for her “elegance and verve,” pianist Elizabeth Dorman enjoys performing music both new and old as a soloist and chamber musician. A prizewinner of the 2018 Leipzig International Bach Competition and the 2017 Pro Musicis Father Merlet Award, Elizabeth has been widely recognized as a leading performer for her inquisitive interpretations of Bach’s music on th modern piano. Elizabeth has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Louisville Orchestra, the Leipzig Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the California Symphony, the Vallejo Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Folsom Lake Symphony, the Stanford Summer Symphony, Symphony Parnassus, as a soloist for interdisciplinary projects at New World Symphony, and she can be heard regularly performing as guest Keyboard at the San Francisco Symphony. She has recorded for Navona and Delos records, including as a soloist with Santa Rosa Symphony. Elizabeth and wasawarded a Doctor of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University where she studied with Gilbert Kalish. 

FREE RESERVATION

Join us for the second masterclass in the festival’s McKee Masterclass series featuring the brilliant and inspired pianist, composer, and educator Stephen Prutsman.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

La vallée d’Obermann

Isaac Choi, piano

Additional Artists and Repertoire TBA

FREE RESERVATION

Young Artists & Repertoire TBA

Our third and final masterclass in the series will be led by brilliant pianist, composer, and educator Eric Zivian.

Eric Zivian is a pianist, fortepianist, and composer. He is founder and Music Director of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival in Sonoma, specializing in Classical and Romantic music on period instruments.

In recent years, Eric performed the Mozart C minor Concerto with the Portland Baroque Orchestra and the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. He has also soloed with the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Toronto Symphony, among others.

Eric has performed extensively on fortepiano since 2000. At the height of the pandemic, Eric livestreamed all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas on period pianos.

Eric's compositions have been performed widely in the United States and in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded an ASCAP Jacob Druckman Memorial Commission to compose an orchestral work, Three Character Pieces, which was premiered by the Seattle Symphony in March 1998.

Eric received degrees in piano and composition from Curtis, Juilliard, and the Yale School of Music. He studied piano with Gary Graffman and Peter Serkin and composition with Ned Rorem, Jacob Druckman, and Martin Bresnick. He attended the Tanglewood Music Center as a performer and composer.

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The festival welcomes father and son duo Liam Teague and Jaden Teague-Núñez in their festival debut, featuring the endlessly varied and colorful music for steelpan and piano. Active in performance, composition, and education, Liam Teague is renowned as a virtuoso leader on his instrument. Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University, Mr. Teague directs the internationally acclaimed NIU Steelband. Rising star Jaden Teague-Núñez has already established himself as a prominent voice in the music world through his performances with the Chicago Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and his solo and duo performances broadcast internationally.

The program opens with a special appearance by festival favorite Stephen Prutsman, inimitable pianist, composer, and improviser. Don’t miss this uniquely exciting evening!

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The festival concludes its kaleidoscopic journey with a program of dazzling musical fireworks. Beginning with Gershwin's irresistible Cuban Overture for two pianos, the program includes performances from Liam Teague and Jaden Teague-Núnez that showcase the versatility and virtuosity of the steelpan. The festival will close with Rachmaninoff's final masterpiece, the Symphonic Dances (1940). Written while Rachmaninoff was living in the United States, it would prove to be his last major composition. This two piano score was given its private premiere with the composer and Vladimir Horowitz in Beverly Hills in August of 1942. Originally subtitled "Noon", "Twilight", and "Midnight", the three movements of this expansive work weave together driving rhythms of city life, endlessly beautiful melodies, shadowy chromaticism, and allusions to Rachmaninoff's own first symphony with the Dies Irae chant that haunted his music throughout his life.

The festival is proud to welcome Elizabeth Dorman to the stage in her festival debut. A San Francisco native, Ms. Dorman has performed nationally and abroad to great acclaim, including appearances with the Leipzig Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, as keyboardist with the San Francisco Symphony, and as recitalist and chamber musician at prominent venues including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Banff Centre. Dorman is joined by founder and artistic director Jeffrey LaDeur, pianist and educator known for his musical leadership and compelling performance style. Don't miss this thrilling conclusion to the season!

George Gershwin

Cuban Overture for 2 pianos

Kevin Bobo

Rhapsody in Steel

Liam Teague

A Visit to Hell

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphonic Dances for 2 Pianos

Elizabeth Dorman, piano*

Jeffrey LaDeur, piano

Karina Tseng, piano

Liam Teague, steelpan

Jaden Teague-Núñez, steelpan

*Festival debut