Acclaimed percussionist to perform, conduct master class at Fredonia

Dr. Pius Cheung, a percussionist, composer and educator hailed as a “young Chinese-Canadian virtuoso” by The New York Times, will perform at a solo marimba and percussion concert and conduct a master class with School of Music students during the last week of January.

The concert on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m., in Rosch Recital Hall and the master class on Monday, Jan. 28, 4 to 6 p.m., in Mason Hall Room 1080, are hosted by the Fredonia Percussion Guild of the Student Association and are free and open to the public.

Dr. Cheung, whose groundbreaking recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on solo marimba was acclaimed as “deeply expressive” by the Times, is considered one of the most important percussionists of his generation. He has presented solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the National Concert Hall in Taipei and the Kyoto Arts Center in Japan.

An extensive travel itinerary has taken him around the world to perform at the Usedom Music Festival (Germany), Manchester Music Festival (United States), Hong Kong Arts Festival, Taiwan International Percussion Convention, Chiapas International Marimba Festival (Mexico), Drum Fest (Poland), Percussion Plus Festival (Denmark), the Italy Percussive Arts Society’s International Percussion Festival, Osaka Percussion Festival (Japan) and Shenyang International Percussion Festival (China).

Cheung is also a sought-after composer for percussion. His latest works include “Allegro Brutale” for solo marimba; “Heaven and Earth,” a 20-minute tone poem for the Ju Percussion Group; and a marimba concerto for the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.

An inspiring teacher to young percussionists, Cheung frequently serves as a judge at national and international competitions and presents master classes at The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Amsterdam Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, Toho Gakuen (Japan) and Beijing Central Conservatory.

Cheung is an associate professor and chair of the Percussion Area at the University of Oregon’s School of Music and has a D.M.A. from the University of Michigan, an artist diploma from the Boston Conservatory and a B.M. from the Curtis Institute.