February 27, 2011
The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County Presents

"The Lyricism of Contemporary
Jewish Classical music"

Featuring
The Bravura Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble

Chiu-Ling Lin, piano
Chiu-Tze Lin, piano
Courtney Kaita, cello
Constance Kaita, violin

Program
Schoenfield Six Hassidic Melodies
Bloch Jewish Life and Meditation Hebraique
Collier Great Brilliant Waltz
Gershwin Three Preludes
Schoenfield Cafe Music

Return to 2010-11 season

"Great impact, not only with her exceptional virtuosity, but also with her ability to capture the intent of the composer" ... "great sense of style - emotional strength - impressive quality in performance..."  This is how composers and critics described Chiu-Ling Lin - internationally renowned pianist and educator - after her tour as the United States Information Agency's Artistic Ambassador to Latin America. An energetic and passionate performer, Dr. Lin plays before enthusiastic audiences around the world. Dr. Lin made her Carnegie Recital Hall debut as the winner of the East and West Young Artist Auditions. She has soloed with fourteen orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony, and the Des Moines Symphony. Appearances in New York, Boston, Chicago, England, Canada and throughout the Far East have featured Dr. Lin's unique mix of music by Chinese and Western composers. Her virtuosity is showcased in a new CD, "Portraits of China." Dr. Lin is a residence of West Windsor. She was the past-President of the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra Board, and is the President of the New Jersey Music Teachers Association. 

“ ….. a strong technique … a hearty tone that sounded big and unforced …” This is how the New York Times describes Chiu-Tze Lin, a dramatic and multifaceted Steinway artist.  Miss Lin began performing in Singapore, and she has continued her concert career in America and Europe.  Chiu-Tze Lin is a widely-acclaimed music director and concert pianist who was selected as a "Hottest Artist in New Jersey" in 2001. She is the conductor of the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra.  She is a Steinway Artists who has appeared as a touring soloist with the Chicago Symphony, and has also soloed with the Cincinnati Symphony. Ms. Lin's CD featuring the works of J. S. Bach for solo piano has been described by New York Concert Review magazine as a "most satisfying performance with eloquence and sensitivity." 

Twenty-year old cellist Courtney Kaita is currently an honors student of junior standing at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of the world-renowned cello pedagogue, Richard Aaron. She is currently pursuing a double degree in cello performance and Mathematics with a minor in physics. Courtney has represented New Jersey multiple times in the solo Junior and Senior Strings Performance competition for the Eastern Division of the Music Teachers National Association Competition. She has also appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in the New Jersey area and has given solo performances in Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, and Merkin Concert Hall. Courtney was featured as a Rising Star for the first Beijing Music Festival, performing in venues including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City Concert Hall, and the Ministry of Culture. Her performance was broadcasted on China Central Television across China and has since been invited back to perform in 2009 and in this upcoming summer 2011. She is also an Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Diploma and Licentiate (LRSM) recipient.

Constance Kaita is the assistant Principal of the 2nd Violin section of the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, and the concertmaster of the Bravura Youth Orchestra. She is a student of Hua-Yi Wang.   Her former teachers include Prof. Nancy Wilson of Princeton University, Mr. Ning Mu, and Dee Lu. Constance was a two-time first prize winner in strings in the New Jersey Music Teachers Young Musicians Competition. As a result of winning the Cecilian Music Club Young Artists Competition, she performed at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. Constance was the top scorer (three times) for the tri-state area in the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) examinations. She has received a Diploma in Violin Performance from the ABRSM. Constance has represented New Jersey for the New Jersey Music Teachers Association in the Music Teachers National Association Junior Strings Solo Performance Competition. An active chamber musician, Constance is a member of the High School All-Eastern Honors Orchestra and the New Jersey All-State Orchestra. As a featured “Rising Star” at the first annual Beijing Music Festival, sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture in the summer of 2004, Constance performed in concert halls at the Ministry of Culture and Tiananmen Square.