The assembled Common Hour crowd was offered a rare treat at noon on Thursday (Sept. 13) as internationally acclaimed pianist Yuja Wang returned to a Denison stage -- but this time the stage was in Herrick Hall, a transformed chemistry lecture hall on the college's academic quadrangle.

Yuja Wang performs in Denison's Herrick Hall

The brief concert was titled "Music With a Bite" as those in attendance were invited to bring a lunch or purchase one from a sandwich cart outside the hall. The concert was as fun as it was impressive. Wang, dressed in typical college co-ed fashion (tank top, jeans and flip-flops) performed a wide range of pieces, from powerful to contemplative.

Included were two contemporary etudes by Ligeti and classical pieces by Mozart, Gluck and Bizet. After a standing ovation, Wang returned with a Rachmaninoff encore.

The casual midday performance was a first for the long-running Vail Series, which sponsored the event as part of Wang's two-part residency during the current academic year at Denison. It also celebrated the inauguration of Herrick Hall as a performing arts venue.

The Vail Series is funded through the Vail endowment, established in 1979, to enrich the artistic experience of all Denisonians. Dedicated to the memory of 1946 Denison alumna Jeanne Vail by Mary and Foster McGaw, her mother and stepfather, the endowment supports a wide range of fine arts residencies at Denison in addition to the Vail Series. Jeanne's late brother, James D. Vail III, and now his widow, Margaret Vail, have continued the legacy of support of the arts at Denison.

In addition to Wang's return on April 12, the 2007-08 Vail Series season will include performances by violinist Natalie MacMaster (Oct. 9), the Chicago Children's Choir (Nov. 10) and cellist Yo-Yo Ma (March 1).

For more information, please visit the Vail Series Web site at: vailseries.org

For more information on the artist, you can access her Web site at: www.yujawang.com

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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