Chang's Delightful Recital
by Annie Shreffler
Issue date: 2/1/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Chang is the real deal: a young woman who cultivated her love of music through a Masters at Manhattan College of Music and a PhD from Columbia that combined work in Psychology with Music. These dual interests led her to recently publish an interdisciplinary article, "Effect of Meditation in Music Performance Anxiety," in the journal, Medical Problems for Performing Artists. She observed how performers practicing Zen meditation before an event are able to control their anxiety and become more relaxed and focused. In addition to her research, she is a diverse performer, collaborating with European musicians last year at a Swiss music festival, and forging ahead in the world of modern, electronic music with the help of her colleague, Dr. Timothy Polashek. She commissioned him to write a concerto for piano and interactive computer system, which she performed in 2005 at Symphony Space.
Chang's approach to works for the piano is pure confidence, which explains the long list of awards that have accrued since her graduation as Valedictorian at Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Among the notables are the Second-Prize in the National Taiwan Piano Competition, a World Arts & Multicultural Inc. Sponsorship, two PSC-CUNY grants, and two G. Shuster Fellowships from Lehman College.
However, none of these scholarly pursuits prevent Dr. Chang from being a diligent, consistent presence on campus. As a teacher of piano and music theory, Chang has lent her patience and knowledge to dozens of aspiring musicians who may not know their good fortune to study with her among the many gifted musicians at Lehman. At a December performance held in the Music Department's less than glamorous recital hall, Chang demonstrated what it means to be a dedicated teacher and a truly talented concert pianist. Chang performs frequently in New York, but this recital was special. It was for her students. Her grace and charm filled the stage when she appeared and everyone was captivated as she focused on the keyboard like a Swiss watchmaker to a fine timepiece, exacting beautiful streams of sound. She played Bach's English Suite No. 3 and Mozart's Sonata in C Major, as well as the Bergamasque Suite by Debussy. This wide range of music kept the novice audience engaged, as each composer's contrasting musical style afforded Chang many moments for dramatic expression. At one point in the Bach piece, her hands moved so furiously, her performance resembled that of the tragic heroine in the fairy tale who mistakenly slips on enchanted red shoes and has to dance for her life. Thankfully, Chang survived the pause between pieces, and flashed her brilliant smile to some students before moving the audience into the much more foggy and unsettling moments of the romantic Debussy.
This final, cloudy piece allowed Chang to take the audience on a dreamy rollercoaster ride through its recognizable movements. In Clair de lune, Chang was refined and relaxed, allowing her gaze to drift somewhat upwards, as if seeing the incredible sunrise she painted with the melody. In the Passepied, she made commanding use of the keyboard, letting us thrill and fear as we rolled through the music, wondering what was around the bend. Delighted, several students made a point of thanking her after the short concert, exclaiming a desire to learn more about this composer Debussy. Perhaps just as she planned it, Chang bid her students farewell and left them with excitement and enthusiasm to learn more about the enchanting world of music where she so easily resides.