Harris Tsz-Chun Leung

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Sonata no. 8 in A minor, K. 310 (Mozart)

i Allegro maestoso, ii Andante cantabile con espressione, F major, iii Presto

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310 / 300d, was written in 1778. The sonata is the first of only two Mozart piano sonatas in a minor key (the other being No. 14 in C minor, K. 457). It was composed in the summer of 1778 around the time of his mother’s death, one of the most tragic times of his life.

Johannes Brahms (1883-1897)

Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35 (Brahms)

i Book 1: Variations 1-14, ii Book 2: Variations 1-14

Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35, is a work for piano composed in 1863 by Johannes Brahms, based on the Caprice No. 24 in A minor by Niccolò Paganini. The work consists of two books. Each book opens with the theme, Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor, followed by fourteen variations. The final variation in each section is virtuosic and climactic.

Johannes Brahms (1883-1897)

Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 (Brahms)

i Theme, ii 25 variations, iii Fugue

The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, is a work for solo piano written by Johannes Brahms in 1861. It consists of a set of twenty-five variations and a concluding fugue, all based on a theme from George Frideric Handel’s Harpsichord Suite No. 1 in B♭ major, HWV 434. They are known as his Handel Variations.

Performers

Harris Tsz-Chun Leung - Piano

Hong Kong pianist Harris Tsz-Chun Leung graduated his postgraduate study at the Royal College of Music in 2022 with distinction, with the support of Noel Croucher Scholarships. Before his study with Gordon Fergus-Thompson in London, he studied piano with Amy Sze and harpsichord with Betty Li at the University of Hong Kong, where he was awarded first honour for his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Music and Linguistics. He has also received scholarships and prizes during his undergraduate study, including Bernard Van Zuiden Prize (2019-2020), Jao Yu Tsong Memorial Prize in Music (2018-19), Professor Robert Lord Memorial Prizes in Music (2017-18), and support from the Ho Wing-Hing Talent Fund (2018-19) for his competition in Osaka. Harris has been playing a wide range of genres and styles of music. He joined the Early Music Ensemble during his undergraduate study as a continuo player, playing harpsichord and chamber organ. Apart from performing as a soloist, he has also been collaborating with choirs, singers and many other instrumentalists. He made his concerto debut with the Hong Kong University Students’ Union Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018 at the HKU Grand Hall. He has won prizes at competitions for both piano duet and solo, including the First Prize in piano four-hands class in the 19th Osaka International Music Competition, and the third-place in the Gold Medal Award, 71st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.