On Saturday evening of March 1st Hao Yang performed a program as eclectic and emotional as her approach to the classical guitar. Fitting to the intimacy of Kulas Recital Hall, her craft expressed itself through storytelling. The selected pieces showcased an exploration across emotional extremes and mastery of technique. Her unmatched expression has brought her a multitude of accolades. In this last year Yang won first place in the Koblenz Guitar Competition and won the Astral Artists National Competition in 2021 as well. Despite her talent, Yang was distinctly appreciative for the chance to perform for an audience.
The program opened with Anton Diabelli’s Sonata in F Major, which Yang played with energy and unmatched dexterity. Is she a robot? Or was the audience listening to a preprogrammed MIDI sequence? The physicality demanded by her playing was as impressive as its sound. Even in moments of increased tempo and intricacy she maintained grace.
Introducing Music of Memory by Nicholas Maw, Yang praised the piece and spoke about the absurdity of its twenty minute runtime. She also framed it as an exploration of the romantic influence on Contemporary music. The work has the presence of a fleeting mischievous character and the player needs a ridiculous amount of endurance. However, Yang had no problem keeping pace. Unphased by its endless runs, she emboldened the work’s imagery of chasing after something that has simply disappeared.
The program was heavily focused on themes with similar depictions. Canzonetta from String Quartet No. 1, Op. 12 by Mendelssohn explored echoes of a common theme, the idea that a note can simultaneously be out of place and extend what came before it. Yang incorporated tapping, harmonics, and played with blistering speed, which prompted the question, what other tricks are up her sleeve?
The final two pieces ventured into the contemporary. Mario Lavista’s Natarayah was a persistent tease that found the overlap of between elegance and a disconcerting unknown. The reoccurring motif paired with the beeps of an alien technology induced imagery of pure chaotic confusion. Elliot Carter’s Shard brought the same idea into a sprawling landscape in which the confusion now came from unlimited possibilities. Moments of explicit indulgence took inspiration from jazz guitar, before being interrupted by the eruption of a strummed chord and a new direction entirely.
For pieces new and old, Yang’s guitar playing builds upon itself to conjure the complex imagery so common within the Contemporary genre. Her technical prowess invites a sound so striking into the world that associating a person with it feels illogical. Nonetheless, she is the artist behind the work and what she accomplishes is nothing short of breathtaking.
thecounterpoint.org 