Aurora Piano Trio
Rose Gellert Hall Series
Saturday, May 25, 2024 – 7:30pm

Rose Gellert Hall Series Finale Concert

with Libby Yu, piano, Yuel Yawney, violin & Sungyong Lim, cello

The concert will be performed in the Rose Gellert Hall.

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Rose Gellert Hall Series Tickets
Single Tickets: Adult $33 / Senior $30 / Student $18 / LCMS Student $10
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About the Aurora Piano Trio

The Aurora Piano Trio has received praise for its passion, exuberance and lyricism as well as sensational performances. Violinist Yuel Yawney and cellist, Sungyong Lim, members of the famed Borealis String Quartet, joined together with acclaimed pianist, Libby Yu to form Canada’s most exciting new ensemble, the Aurora Piano Trio. Each of the members of the Trio has performed around the world and brings their extensive chamber music experience together creating an ensemble of the highest calibre.

Founded in 2019 and mentored by the great Canadian impresario, George Zukerman, the Trio is already garnering much critical acclaim and is taking the Canadian music scene by storm. Debuting for the Whistler Chamber Music Society in the Trio’s first season as part of a Western Canadian tour, the remaining engagements were cancelled due to COVID. In 2021, the Trio began rebooking engagements and that September was the season opening concert to a sold-out audience for the Cafe Classico Series at the Langley Community Music School. Early in 2022, the Trio also had numerous performances at the Music by the Sea Festival in Victoria to standing ovations and later in Vancouver at the Orpheum ANNEX and the Centre Stage at Surrey City Hall. Last season, the Aurora toured Vancouver Island performing as well as concerts in Eastern BC. This season, the Aurora Piano Trio is delighted to return and perform at the Langley Community Music School.

Yuel Yawney, violin
Praised for his “confident, smooth toned, and unobtrusive virtuosic” playing Yuel Yawney has performed extensively across North America, Europe and Asia performing in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Toronto, San Francisco, Washington DC, Montreal, Ottawa and, of course, in his home town of Vancouver. A founding member of the Borealis String Quartet, Yuel has been heard at such festivals as Festival of the Sound in Ontario, the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, MusicFest Vancouver, the June Music Festival in Albuquerque, NM, the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival and Mendocino Music Festival in California to name a few.

Regularly heard on CBC Radio and other radio stations, in addition to performing Yuel enjoys teaching and coaching at festivals, universities and music institutions wherever he travels. As the Quartet in Residence at the University of British Columbia, School of Music for ten years, Yuel gave frequent taught master classes and coachings as well as individual lessons.

Yuel began his musical studies in Canada before moving to the Czech Republic to study at the famed Prague Academy of Music. Returning to North America, he graduated with his Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Performance from the Harid Conservatory and the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University. He performs on a violin by Italian-born maker, Sergio Peresson made in 1973.

Sungyong Lim, cello
Cellist, Sungyong Lim graduated with honors from the renowned Yewon School and the Seoul School of the Arts before entering the Korea National University of Arts. During his university studies, he decided to advance his musical education in Europe. Accepted by the Detmold Musik Hochschule in Germany, he earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and a konzertexamen’s degree in cello performance. Sungyong graduated at the top of his class, with a comprehensive performance repertoire and with considerable teaching experience.

Among his many musical achievements, Sungyong has received accolades from the DAAD (Deutdcher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) and from his performance at the German Chamber Music Competition. He continues to receive invitations for solo engagements from organizations such as the German Johannes-Brahms-Saal, and Detmold Konzert Hause, as well as from musical groups in Switzerland , France, Luxembourg, Germany and Korea. Sung Yong has also concertized as an outstanding artist in the French Flaine International Masterclass, the Courchevel Music Festival, the Swiss Lugano Music Festival and the Swiss Sion Music Festival. In addition, he performed by invitation at music concerts with the Navara Music Festival, and had concerts under Kurt Masur. He also attended the Master classes of famous music professors, such as Lauren Lesser, Christoph Henkel, Xenia Jankovich, Yong Chang Cho and Praha Trio.

Sungyong’s musical talents have been influenced by many recognized artists with whom he studied, including Marcio Carneiro, Johnes Goritzki, Alexander Gebert, Aurin Qurtet, and Sung Won Yang. He has played as the principal cellist of both the German Detmold Orchestra and the Mosy Chamber Orchestra. Also, he regularly performed in many chamber music concerts, with duos, trios and quartets in Korea and Germany. Sungyong currently teaches at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and since 2015, he has been a member of the Borealis String Quartet.

Libby Yu, piano
Vancouver pianist Libby Yu is recognized as an accomplished performer, collaborator, teacher and adjudicator. She began her early studies with Phyllis Taylor and Edward Parker and then studied extensively with Lee Kum-Sing at both the Vancouver Academy of Music and at the University of British Columbia, where she earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. Libby captured the First Prize of the 27th CBC Radio National Competition for Young Performers and Second Place in the Eckhardt-Gramatte Competition for Canadian Music. She came to international recognition when she was awarded a Diploma of Honour at the 13th International Frederic Chopin Competition held in Warsaw, Poland.

A favourite with audiences, Libby has graced international stages including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, Le Chatre in Nohant, and the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. She has appeared as soloist with major symphony orchestras such as the Netherlands Philharmonic, Montreal, Toronto, National Arts Centre, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver, CBC Vancouver, Manitoba Chamber and Victoria. She has also performed in international festivals such as the “Chopin chez George Sand” Festival in Nohant, France, the Banff School, and the Holland Music Sessions, where she was chosen for the World Tour.

Libby has recorded in studio and in recital for CBC Radio and is also collaborates regularly in various chamber music and duo recitals. On the local scene in Vancouver, she brings her passion for music to share with audiences of all ages and venues; she is an artist for the Health Arts Society “Concerts in Care” which allows her to share her music to residential care homes and hospitals. She engages actively in music education and passes on her love for music to her studio of students who over the years, have won honours locally, provincially and nationally. Libby has two solo albums available on CD and digital distribution: Chopin Recital 1 and Chopin Recital 2. The recording “Brahms: Sonatas and Songs” with violist Nicolo Eugelmi and mezzo-soprano Mariateresa Magisano was highly praised by the Strad Magazine and was also named a “Strad Selection”. Libby’s most recent solo album featured her heartfelt program for the “Recital For Hope” benefit for cancer research in memory of her late husband.