Among the best…Anton Isselhardt , flutist from Germany and Thailand’s guitarist Pongpat Pogpradit in the Wind & Strings 2025 Tour Pan – Americana Impressions in Malaysia on Oct 2, 2025.
The concert featuring 23 pieces was inspired by the longest road in the world – Pan American Highway- says Lee Jae Phang who organised the event in Bandar Sri Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia on Oct 2, 2025.
Spanning some 30,000 km across 14 countries, the highway is a showcase of natural wonders, history and cultural diversity.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
Oct 9, 2025
Photos: Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang.
While we may play different musical instruments or have our favourite composer/s, openness to musical experience is enriching and vital for musicality development.
On that note, the Wind & Strings 2025 Tour Pan – Americana Impressions – is a golden opportunity.
Drawing inspiration from the Pan American Highway, the renowned performers- Anton Isselhardt and Pongpat Pogpradit- with their selected pieces were able to bring the world famous route into focus.
Music transcends culture.
And concert pianist and teacher Lee Jae who brought in the concert notes that he is always inspired by imaginative progamming.
Welcome to Malaysia…Lee Jae (right) took Anton (centre) and Pongpat for nasi kandar dinner in Kota Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia.
A musical journey .. Pan Americana Impressions, inspired by the Pan American Highway, brings the scenic route into focus.
Anton has been the head of the Classical Music Program of the Goethe Centre in Phnom Penh since 2006.
He has organised various international music projects in the South East Asian (SEA) Region.
Anton is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Music at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh and performs regularly in Europe and in the SEA Region.
Pongpat is head of the classical guitar department and lecturer at the Silpakorn University in Bangkok.
He is the director of the Silpakorn International Guitar Festival and member of the Thai Guitar Society.
Pongpat regularly performs on many International Guitar Festivals in SEA and on other international stages.
Something special…Anton (right) briefly introduced the pieces to the audience.
Congratulations… Pongpat (left) and Anton. The concert ended on a high note.
Music taking shape…Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Lee Jae Phang performing The Piano Sonatas Part V. A Yamaha Music Malaysia event, the pianist’s virtuosity continues to entertain and inspire his audience. The event is part of a series on Beethoven’s legendary sonatas. This part kicked off at Yamaha Music Malaysia in Kelana Jaya on Sept 20, 2025, followed by Luxury Piano Lounge at LS Music, Great Eastern Mall, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur on Sept 21, 2025, Luxury Piano Lounge @ Digital Music Systems, Prima Tanjung, Penang on sept 28, 2025 and Luxury Piano Lounge @ Impian Emas Music Centre, Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru on Oct 5, 2025.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
sept 25, 2025
Photos: courtesy of Lee Jae Phang
His deep love and fascination for Beethoven’s music…Lee Jae has recorded almost all of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas and published on his YouTube channel.
He won the 1st Beethoven Performance Award of the BPSE & Beethoven in Altaussee Festival 2016’s prize in Austria.
A story behind the music …Lee Jae gave a brief introduction on the piano sonatas at Yamaha Music Malaysia in Kelana Jaya on Sept 20, 2025.
Piano Sonata in G minor, Op.49, No. 1
Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 49, No.2
Piano Sonata in E – flat major, Op. 31, No. 3
Piano Sonata in F major, Op. 54
Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57
(‘Appassionata”)
The two piano sonatas Op. 49 date from the final years of the 1790s even though they were published several years later.
Beethoven’s brother, Kaspar, deciding the sonatas were worthy of publication,
presented them to a publishing house without Beethoven’s knowledge.
Both sonatas are small pieces of two movements.
The first sonata is the more sombre of the two. It opens with a first movement in G minor marked Andante. The second movement (a Rondo marked Allegro) begins in the tonic major. However, the light character of the opening becomes more intense with the second theme, which is cast back in G minor.
In the second sonata, both movements are in G major. With the major key comes musical feelings of confidence, aplomb and a touch of bravura.
The second movement of this sonata (marked “Tempo di menuetto”) shares the melodic theme of the Minuet of Beethoven’s Septet for Winds Op. 20.
The Septet was written after the sonata, but it was published first, hence the lower opus number. It became one of Beethoven’s most famous pieces during his lifetime, much to his dismay.
Luckily for us, and for many students wanting to take their first steps into
Beethoven’s piano sonatas, his brother got to the sonatas before they became lost to posterity. The fact that Beethoven used the Minuet theme in his Septet and left the sonata unpublished suggests that he might have wanted to scrap the piano sonata altogether.
I think that the sonatas are wonderful pieces, and we have Kaspar to thank for his quick thinking.
The next sonata that I will perform is the sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31, No. 3.
Composed in 1802, it is the final sonata of this opus number set. Those of you who were present for the recital in Part IV will remember that I performed the first sonata of Op. 31 then.
Unlike the first two sonatas of the set, however, this sonata is cast in 4 movements.
Throughout the sonata, Beethoven maintains a playful jocularity. In fact, all 4
movements are cast in the major mode, with 3 of them in the tonic key.
A distinguishing feature of this sonata is the fact that Beethoven does not write an Adagio slow movement. The slowest movement is the lyrical Minuet third movement.
Another interesting structural feature to note is that instead of replacing the Minuet with a Scherzo (which is something he pioneered in his symphonies and early piano sonatas in the Minuet and Trio movements), Beethoven writes a Scherzo second movement in this sonata and follows it with a Minuet third movement. We are not forced to choose between the two.
In the opening bars of the first movement, Beethoven’s harmonic daring is evident.
He actually begins the sonata with a pre-dominant ii7b chord.
If I did not reveal the tonality of the sonata, we as listeners will not know that we are in E-flat major until the sixth bar!
The final movement of this sonata is likely the source of this sonata’s nickname “The Hunt”. It is filled with allusions to horn calls.
We begin the second half of today’s recital with an interesting and often neglected piano sonata – the piano sonata in F major, Op. 54.
Part of the reason that it seldom features on recital programmes is the fact that it is both preceded and followed by two gigantic piano sonatas. The “Waldstein” and “Appassionata” sonatas very effectively eclipse it with their length and prestige. It definitely does not help that this sonata also does not have a nickname.
Like the sonata in E minor, Op. 90 from Part IV, the Op. 54 sonata is in 2
movements.
The first movement of this sonata is marked “In tempo d’un menuetto”. The opening theme could not be simpler in its construction: in the first 4 bars, we are presented with three increasingly higher statements of the same rhythmic motif in F major.
Just as we grow accustomed to it, the simplicity and elegance of the music is rudely interrupted by a bombastic canon in octaves in both hands.
The movement proceeds with increasingly ornamented statements of the opening theme, finishing with a Coda.
The second movement is a moto perpetuo, also in F major. There are many
adventurous musical twists and turns (modulations to remote keys such as A major at the start of the Development section) and the movement concludes with a coda in a faster tempo. This idea is taken up again, as you will soon hear, in the finale of the next sonata.
The final sonata of today’s recital, the sonata in F minor, Op. 57, nicknamed the “Appassionata”, is one of Beethoven’s most beloved sonatas.
I will keep the introduction short as I am sure that the emotional power of the piece speaks for itself.
After the completion of Op. 54 and 57, Beethoven wrote no further piano sonatas for 4 years, his longest absence from the genre at the time.
The nickname “Appassionata” is apt because it refers to the tempestuous character of this sonata. In fact, this is one of the handful of works by Beethoven that begins and ends in tragedy. Beethoven often follows the pattern of darkness leading into light, but sometimes the darkness triumphs at the end. The other prominent examples of works beginning and ending in a dark mood are the violin sonata in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2 and the “Pathétique” piano sonata, Op. 13.
The “Appassionata” sonata is written in 3 movements.
The second movement of this sonata is a set of variations on a theme in D-flat major.
At the end of the final variation, Beethoven resolves the dominant chord onto a diminished seventh chord. There’s so much uncertainty in that chord that pretty much anything can follow it, and Beethoven does not disappoint us.
We are launched into the final movement, which is a near perpetual motion
movement, similar to the finale of the Op. 54 sonata. This movement ends with a spiral into the abyss of descending arpeggios in F minor.
Proud achievers …While learning, practising and playing the piano build music skills and is a form of brainpower training, performing on stage is an ultimate test. The Piano Students of Lee Jae Phang at the Studio Recital 2025 at Yamaha Festival Hall, Kelana Jaya, Malaysia on Sept 13, 2025.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
sept 16, 2025
The recital is meaningful as well as enlightening for the students ; from celebrating their achievements to figuring out areas that need improvement.
As teacher Lee Jae puts it: “The concert is meant to be a learning experience for everyone. We only grow stronger with every performance we do, so you have bigger and better experiences to look forward to.”
Concert pianist and teacher Lee Jae delivering his welcome address at the Yamaha Festival Hall on Sept 13, 2025 recital.
Students who took part in the recital.
Learning piano to acquire the skills and mastering it is, a journey with its many milestones.
While some students may be talented, it takes discipline, hard work, diligent practice and most of all, the help and guidance of a good teacher to realize the students’ full potential.
The same applies to all students .
And guidance and support from their parents and/ or family members especially for the very young students, is equally important.
The presence of the students’ family members at the recital speaks volumes.
Every student is unique.
For this recital, preparations started from choosing the piece, practising the technicalities, polishing it, practise playing for others to stagecraft.
All in, the teacher, students and their family members made the recital a resounding success.
Building on his deep love and fascination for Ludwig van Beethoven’s music … Malaysian concert pianist Lee Jae Phang has performed 16 sonatas in public from memory! He marked another milestone on May 24, 2025 with his recital Beethoven The Piano Sonatas Part IV that won him a standing ovation at Yamaha Music Malaysia in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, followed by another recital at the LS Music Yamaha, Kuala Lumpur the next day.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
June 2, 2025.
Photos: Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang.
Program for the 91-minute- long recital Beethoven The Piano Sonatas Part lV :
Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 7 (32 mins)
Sonata in G major, Op. 31, No. 1 (26 mins)
intermission
Sonata in E minor, Op. 90 (14 mins)
Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 ‘Pathétique’ (19 mins)
Lee Jae’s profound interpretation of Beethoven’s music and deep connection with the composer led him record almost all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas totaling more than 11 hours of music, and the masterpieces are available on his YouTube channel.
The international award- winning pianist has performed across Europe and Asia, and he won, among others, the Audience Prize and the 1st Beethoven Performance Award of the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe & Beethoven in Altaussee Festival 2016 prize in Austria.
Lee Jae began studying seriously for a career in music when he was awarded a full scholarship to study as a specialist pianist at the Wells Cathedral School (WCS) in Somerset, England, UK.
He continued his musical education at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester in September 2012 and five years later graduated with a Master of Music in Performance with Distinction.
In 2017, Lee Jae was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music with Distinction.
A concert pianist, teacher and writer…Lee Jae performed Beethoven The Piano Sonatas Part IV on a Yamaha S6 Grand Piano at Yamaha Music Malaysia in Petaling Jaya on May 24, 2025.
A topic of interest … How to practice piano was raised at the end of the recital.
On Beethoven’s music … Lee Jae gave a brief introduction of the sonatas at the start of the recital.
An in-depth analysis of the sonatas by Lee Jae.
Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 7
This sonata was published in 1796 as ‘Grande Sonate’. The title is appropriate because it is indeed the longest of Beethoven’s early piano sonatas.
It was also called ‘Grande Sonate’ because it was published alone, and not as part of a set. Sonatas Nos. 1 to 3 form the Op. 2 set while Sonatas Nos. 5 to 7 form the Op. 10 set.
The Op. 7 sonata was composed during Beethoven’s visit to the Keglevich palace in November 1796 and it is dedicated to his piano student Countess Babette of Keglevich.
The first movement is grand and features extremely contrasting characters and intriguing modulations. It was probably inspired by Haydn’s final piano sonata in the same key, written only 2 years earlier.
The second movement starts off with a somewhat fragmented opening. The silences in the opening bars give the music a sense of space, contemplation, and most importantly, deep expression.
The middle section of this movement features the same pizzicato accompaniment above a chorale-like melody which we heard in the Largo movement of the A major sonata, Op. 2, No. 2.
The third movement fools us with the simplicity of its opening theme.
In the middle “Minore” section, Beethoven paints a stormy and threatening landscape in the tonic minor of Eb minor.
The fourth and final movement is a Rondo movement with a lyrical theme.
Listen out for the unexpected modulation to E major near the end.
This is perhaps another nod to Haydn, his former composition teacher who cast the second movement of this final sonata in the same key.
Sonata in G major, Op. 31, No. 1
Unlike Op. 7, this sonata is part of a set of three sonatas, which were published together in 1803.
The G major sonata itself was composed between 1801 and 1802.
The important thing to note about this sonata is that it is very un-Beethovenian.
This is one of Beethoven’s truly funny creations.
In the first few bars of the opening movement, the listener is made to believe that the pianist cannot play chords neatly together.
Beethoven achieves this by repeatedly instructing the pianist’s RH to anticipate the LH a semiquaver early.
In the second movement, Beethoven parodies Italian lyric opera. Beethoven’s usual concentration and economical writing takes a back seat in this movement: there are ornaments everywhere and even two show-off cadenzas.
In the final movement, also a rondo, Beethoven continues the light mood of the first two movements.
The theme of the movement could be said to be a Gassenhauer tune.
Gassenhauer was the name given to tunes that are so simple that everybody could sing them on the streets, or in the “Gassen”, which is German for lanes or alleys.
My favourite anecdote about this sonata comes from its publication.
Beethoven had sent this sonata to the Swiss publisher Nägeli in Zurich to be printed.
Due to the sonata’s unusual nature, the publisher probably thought that Beethoven had made a mistake and added 4 bars to the start of the coda in the first movement.
Furthermore, it seems that the proofs of the first edition were not sent to Beethoven, and Nägeli published the sonata without giving Beethoven a chance to offer corrections.
When the obligatory copy arrived at Beethoven’s home, he was in the midst of composing.
Ferdinand Ries, a friend and pupil of Beethoven’s, relates that Beethoven asked him to play the sonata through while Beethoven himself remained seated at his desk.
There was an unusual number of errors which already made Beethoven impatient.
When Ries got to those four extra bars, and I quote Ries now,
‘Beethoven jumped up in a rage, came running to me, half pushed me away from the pianoforte, shouting, “where the devil do you find that?”
One can scarcely imagine his amazement and rage when he saw the printed notes.
I received the commission to make a record of all the errors and at once sent the sonatas to Simrock in Bonn, who was to make a reprint and call it “Edition trés correcte” (“Very correct edition”).
Sonata in E minor, Op. 90.
This sonata was written in the summer of 1814 and published in June the following year.
With this sonata, we skip ahead to the very end of Beethoven’s middle compositional period and the start of his late compositional period.
The late period works feature among other things a greater concern with lyricism that is now combined with a newfound intimacy and delicacy.
There is also a greater interest in counterpoint. In the Op. 101 sonata which I performed in the previous recital for example, the whole middle section of the final movement was a fugue.
In this sonata Op. 90, he does not write a fugue, but I would like to invite you to listen out for traces of Bach’s influence here.
Like the G major sonata I performed earlier, there’s a nice story that accompanies this sonata.
Beethoven dedicated the sonata to Prince Moritz von Lichnowsky, who was a friend and benefactor. Beethoven also dedicated the “Eroica” piano variations to him.
Anyway, another gentleman named Anton Schindler, who was a friend and biographer of Beethoven’s, reported in his 1842 book titled “Beethoven in Paris” that the sonata’s two movements were originally to be titled “Kampf zwischen Kopf und Herz” (“A Contest between Head and Heart”) and “Conversation mit der Geliebten” (“Conversation with the Beloved”).
Schindler wrote that the titles refer to Moritz’s romance with a woman he was thinking of marrying.
This lady eventually became his second wife.
Later studies by scholars showed that the story was almost certainly invented by Schindler, at least in part, and that he went so far as to forge an entry in one of the conversation books to validate the anecdote.
Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 ‘Pathétique’
It was composed in 1798, published the year after, and dedicated to Moritz’s older brother: Prince Karl von Lichnowsky.
The publisher was impressed by the sonata’s tragic sonorities that he named it “Grande sonate pathétique”.
The word “pathétique” comes from the French and means “creating sad and strong emotions”.
It also comes from the Greek word “pathetikos”, which means “capable of emotion, impassioned, sensitive”.
This sonata was an important success for Beethoven as it sold well and helped develop his reputation as a composer and not just as an extraordinary pianist.
Musicologists have over the years speculated on whether this sonata may have been inspired by Mozart’s C minor piano sonata, K. 457.
The theme from Beethoven’s second movement is remarkably like one of the themes in Mozart’s second movement.
Bach’s Partita No. 2 may also have inspired Beethoven.
The opening fanfare of the Partita is also marked “Grave” and the “Andante” which follows begins with the same four notes that feature in important points in Beethoven’s sonata.
An evening of great music…Cellist Steven Retallick, violinist Dino Akira Decena and pianist Lee Jae Phang presented two great masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire in Kuala Lumpur on March 2, 2025.
The hour long concert opened to a packed hall and was met with several rounds of enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Mendelssohn Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49
I. Molto allegro agitato
II. Andante con moto tranquillo
III. Scherzo. Leggiero e vivace
IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato
Ravel Piano Trio in A minor, M. 67
I. Modéré
II. Pantoum: Assez vif
III. Passacaille: Très large
IV. Final: Animé
Among the highlights… a short extract from the final movement of the Ravel during the concert in Kuala Lumpur on March 2, 2025.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
Feb 15, 2025
updated: March 4, 2025
Maurice Ravel’s piano trio, completed in 1914, gained inspiration from a wide variety of sources; from Basque dance to Malaysian poetry (pantun in Bahasa Malaysia)
The second movement – “Pantoum” – is a poetic form derived from the pantun.
“Ravel adopted an orchestral approach while composing his trio and created a texture of sound unusually rich for a chamber music work.
“It is unique in the repertoire for its luxuriance of colour and its brilliance,” says Lee Jae.
The concert “Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth” is to celebrate the works of Ravel who is one of France’s greatest composers.
Ravel was born on March 7.
Ravel’s Trio will be paired with Mendelssohn’s D minor piano trio – an audience favourite since its premiere in 1840.
Lee Jae says Robert Schumann famously declared it as “The master-trio of the 19th century that will continue to delight future generations”.
Full house : Concert pianist Lee Jae Phang, violinist Dino Akira Decena and cellist Steven Retallick performing piano trios at the Grand Opening of the First Edition of the European Music Cultures Festival (Nov 1 – 3, 2024) in Cambodia.
Steven Retallick is an Australian citizen, born in Amsterdam to a family of musicians.
He moved to London at an early age and was educated at the Purcell School, a specialist music school, before attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he completed his cello studies under Professor Stefan Popov.
Throughout his career, Steven Retallick has worked professionally with various orchestras, including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Asturias and Orquesta Ciudad de Granada in Spain, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Wichita Symphony in the USA, the Royal Bangkok Symphony in Thailand, Opera Australia and the Adelaide Symphony in Australia, and the Ulster Orchestra, London Symphony, and Philharmonia Orchestra in the UK.
Steven has also guested Principal with the Singapore Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Vietnam, and from 1998 to 2021, he was Co-Principal with the Malaysian Philharmonic.
His solo performances include the cello concerto by Gavin Bryars with the Malaysian Philharmonic, “Snapshots,” a commissioned work for cello and orchestra by Adeline Wong, also with the Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Malaysian premiere of Schnittke’s Epilog.
Dino Akira Decena is one of the Philippines’ most accomplished and sought-after violinists, renowned for his exceptional talent as both a soloist and chamber musician.
He has performed with nearly all major orchestras and chamber groups in the country.
Dino has held prominent positions, including associate
concertmaster for The Phantom of the Opera (2012)
and Les Miserables (2016) in Manila, concertmaster
for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, and violinist for Miss Saigon in Manila and Taiwan.
He has also performed with various notable groups, such as the Metro Pop Orchestra, the Filharmonika Orchestra, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, and in productions like
Star Wars: A New Hope and Do You Hear the People Sing?
Dino continues to contribute to the arts as a violin teacher at St. Paul University, Sta. Isabel College of Manila, St. Scholastica’s College of Manila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth, and he teaches violin to children of pastors at the Maranatha Christian Academy.
Lee Jae Phang is a Malaysian concert pianist, teacher, accompanist, and chamber musician.
He has performed in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Beijing, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia, during which he also worked with conductors such as Christopher Adey, Mark Heron, Davide Levi, Nick Meredith, Frank Lennon, Dr. Martin Cook, and Mihnea Ignat.
During his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, his piano trio Trio Lazuli performed around the UK and they had masterclasses with Kathryn Stott (duo partner of Yo-Yo Ma), Frans Helmerson, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Jeremy Young, Wu Qian, and Sasha Sitkovetsky.
Lee Jae himself also had piano masterclasses with Stephen Hough CBE, The Juilliard School faculty members Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio, French pianists Philippe Cassard, Michel Béroff, and Bernard d’Ascoli, British pianists Christopher Elton, Vanessa Latarche, Ronan O’Hora, and other renowned pianists such as Nelson Goerner, Vovka Ashkenazy, and Daniel Shapiro.
In addition to receiving many awards, scholarships, funds, and winning many other competitions, Lee Jae won the ‘1st Beethoven Performance Award of the BPSE & Beethoven in Altaussee Festival 2016’ prize in Austria.
Given his deep love and fascination for Beethoven’s music, Lee Jae has recorded almost all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas and published them on his YouTube channel – these sonatas being ranked amongst the highest Himalayan peaks of a pianist’s repertoire.
Great musical partners: (from left) Dino Akira Decena, Lee Jae Phang and Steven Retallick at the Grand Opening of the First Edition of the European Music Cultures Festival (Nov 1 – 3, 2024) in Cambodia.
Concert pianist and teacher Lee Jae Phang says his musical arrangement this year unites the famous Gong Xi Gong Xi (Congratulations, Congratulations) with a variation on it and a new tune, both composed by him.
Combining his musical imagination and creativity , he succeeded in bringing out the month-long festive mood in the three-minute arrangement and piano recital.
The upbeat Gong Xi Gong Xi at one point takes on a hurried character that denotes frenzy festive shopping amidst decorations in malls and streets flowing with the colours of red, yellow and gold – a symbol of prosperity for the Chinese.
In keeping with the Year of the Snake theme, he says the new melody also coils around itself, recalling the music of the snake charmers of Asia.
Beneath the hustle and bustle, the happier feelings that comes with the new year celebrations saw the new tune kicks in half way into the arrangement.
“The new tune is lyrical and folklike with a lilting accompaniment that complements it in character,” says Lee Jae, of the celebrations which placed importance on family reunion, friendship and a thriving community.
An arrangement that befits an auspicious occasion, Lee Jae describes the final section:
“Gong Xi Gong Xi theme returns cautiously at first, and builds to a climax.
“Handfuls of chords create richer harmonies in the piano, a grand culmination of the variety of musical emotions that were explored in the piece.
” You will also hear Chinese drums in the bass rounding off this final section.”
Celebrate the power of music…International concert pianist Lee Jae Phang delivered a series of high-profile performances in Cambodia recently. The Grand Opening of the First Edition of the European Music Cultures Festival (Nov 1 – 3, 2024) saw him sharing the stage with violinist Dino Akira Decena and cellist Steven Retallick, performing piano trios to a full house. At the festival’s Grand Finale , Lee Jae who performed a solo piano recital was honoured with a very rare standing ovation – a testament to the festival’ s success.
Photos: Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com.
Nov 14, 2024
Held at the luxurious Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, the festival was attended by local audiences as well as ambassadors, dignitaries, and invited guests.
Present at the event were the EU Ambassador to Cambodia (H.E. Igor Driesmans), the German Ambassador to Cambodia (H.E. Stefan Messerer), the Ukrainian Ambassador to Cambodia (H.E. Oleksandr Gaman) and Ukrainian First Secretary (Kseniia Ohorondyk).
An honour: This trip also saw Lee Jae performed a solo piano recital for invited dignitaries and guests at the German Embassy in Phnom Penh .(from left) Christoph Stadtler, H. E. Jacques Pellet (the Ambassador of France to Cambodia) and H. E. Stefan Messerer (the Ambassador of Germany to Cambodia) and their spouses, Lee Jae and Anton Isselhardt.
Simply brilliant: Lee Jae who performed a solo piano recital at the festival’s Grand Finale received a standing ovation.
This year’s festival spotlighted music written by composers who have lived and worked either in Leipzig, Prague, Budapest, or Kyiv.
The audience was therefore treated to a wide variety of music, some of which is very rarely performed due to its complexity or the difficulty in obtaining the sheet music for it.
The specialty on the program for the Grand Opening was the piano trio by Vasyl Barvinsky (1888-1963) , a Ukrainian composer.
Lee Jae, Dino Akira Decena and Steven Retallick (named D.R.P. Trio after the first letter of the individual members’ surnames) presented the colourful program to a full house.
The audience showed their appreciation by their generous applause after each item on the program.
At the Grand Finale of the festival, Lee Jae presented a solo piano recital, celebrating the works of Lyatoshynsky, Reger, Lysenko, Szymanowski, Chopin, and Cambodian composer Bosba Panh.
Blending rich European and Cambodian influences into a captivating program, the audience who was visibly moved, honoured the performance with a very rare standing ovation – a testament to the impact of that remarkable evening and a fitting tribute to the festival’s success.
The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia, the Delegation of the European Union, the German Embassy Phnom Penh, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Soundskool, and The Piano Shop Cambodia.
Collective power : (from left ) Kseniia Ohorondyk (Ukrainian First Secretary), Gabi Faja (CEO of Soundskool Music Cambodia and Director of The Piano Shop Cambodia), Anton Isselhardt (Artistic Director of European Music Cultures Festival), Lee Jae Phang (international concert pianist and piano pedagogue), H.E. Oleksandr Gaman (Ukrainian Ambassador to Cambodia) and his spouse, Dino Akira Decena (concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra), Steven Retallick (former principal cellist of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra), Christoph Stadtler (guest speaker for the pre-concert talk and professional guitarist).
Landmark: Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh
This trip also saw Lee Jae performed a solo piano recital for invited dignitaries and guests at the German Embassy in Phnom Penh.
True to the culture of the performance venue, Lee Jae presented a program that featured masterpieces by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin.
This was Lee Jae’s second time performing at the German Embassy and he says that it is always an honour and a delight to receive an invitation to perform there.
The audience applauded enthusiastically after every item on his program and he had the pleasure of speaking to some of them, including H.E. the Ambassador of South Korea to Cambodia Park Jung-wook, after the concert.
Lee Jae says this concert trip highlights the importance of always striving for and upholding high standards in music-making.
He says a high level of skill and a professional attitude has made it possible for him to learn all that music while teaching full-time back in Malaysia, let alone perform it for a series of events in a short space of time..
He notes that two days of intense rehearsals to put together an evening concert program was made possible with high calibre musicians like Dino Akira Decena, who is currently concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and Steven Retallick, a former principal cellist at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
D.R.P. Trio : (from left) Dino Akira Decena, Lee Jae and Steven Retallick.
“The concerts also remind us of the power of music to bring people from different walks of life together.
“Let us appreciate the beautiful fact that the audience at the events comprised of individuals coming from different places around the world, with different backgrounds and lives.
“At those three evenings, these people came together to enjoy music written by a group of composers as diverse as themselves,” says Lee Jae.
Good synergy: Lee Jae and Anton Isselhardt (Artistic Director of European Music Cultures Festival ) after the Grand Finale recital. All smiles after a very successful performance and festival.
Local attraction: The central market and the iconic tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh.
Heritage: The Central Post Office in Phnom Penh, opened in 1895, was built during the French Colonial period.
Making the grade: The joy and transformative power of music via deliberate daily practice, commitment to regular piano lessons and perseverance in the face of inevitable challenges along the way to improve one’s musical skills – piano teacher Lee Jae Phang.
Photo: A studio recital of Lee Jae’s piano students on Sept 7, 2024. Twenty nine of his students took part.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee @gmail.com
sept 25, 2024
A series on ABRSM Piano 2025 & 2026 by Lee Jae Phang.
Simply remarkable : Twenty-nine piano students with their piano teacher Lee Jae Phang put on a concert on Sept 7, 2024 – reflecting the diversity of musical styles written for piano and the unique musical tastes and current abilities of each student.
Nathaniel Lim Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star(Traditional); Lee Jie Jun Minuet in C (Reinagle); Jamie Pua Old FrenchSong(Tchaikovsky); Jiang Hanqin Arietta, Op.12 No 1 (Grieg); Leanne Lee Tarantella , Op. 77 n0. 6 (M0szkowski); Jaclynn Lai Finale: Tempo di minuet,from Sonata Hob XVI : 49 (Haydn); Johnson Guo Jackson Street Blues (MarthaMier); Ezra Chen Finale: Prestissimo, from Sonata Op. 10 No 1 (Beethoven); Kingston Koh Little Whale Explores the Calm Sea (Caroline Tyler) and VirginiaHall ( Shruthi Rajasekar); Teoh Shu Kheng Last Rose of Summer (Flotow); Kayleigh Cham ??:) (Traditional English); Tang Woan Torng Prelude in CMajor, from Book 1 of “The 48” (J. S. Bach); Jacob Lin O for Ole (JuneArmstrong) Jiang Hanlin Hunting Song (Schumann); Jacob Yong Songswithout Words, Op. 19 No 1 (Mendelssohn) ; Wong Jannelle Allegro in F (Handel); Joshua Chen Allegro, from Sonata, Op. 14 No. 2 (Beethoven); Lim Hui San Prelude forLeft Hand, Op. 9 Scriabin); Anna Liew Gavotte (Telemann); Ian Fong Eveningin the Village (Bartok); Brandon Thean Allegretto in C (Diabelli) and VirginiaHall (Shruti Rajasekar); Willian Poh In the Groove (Mike Cornick); Ashley Thean Fur Elise (Beethoven); Natalie Peh Modere, from Sonatien(Ravel);Natalie Peh and Teacher Lee Jae Allegro Molto, from Sonata forPiano,4 hands, K. 381 (Mozart); Andrew Tah Gamelan, No. 1 from Java Suite(Godowsky); Chong Ray Shuen New Kid (Christopher Norton); Daniel Tan Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79 No. 2 (Brahms); Yoshua Yong The Ultimate Price(Evan Call, arranged by Animenz); Paulson Loh Moderato Cantabile (Diabelli).
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
Sept 12, 2024
Describing the event as ” A concert for the students and by the students”, Lee Jae says it is a celebration of their efforts, achievements and progress so far.
“It is a great learning experience for students because they sharpen their planning and preparation skills.
“With a deadline looming and a goal to reach , it becomes more critical that practice is done efficiently,” says Lee Jae at the opening of the concert in Yamaha Festival Hall, Yamaha Music Centre in Kelana Jaya, Selangor.
Also a concert pianist, Lee Jae says performing to a live audience also trains students to learn to overcome stage fright.
And to maximize the learning experience, each student gives a brief introduction of themselves and their chosen piece before playing.
The ability to connect with people via performance and public speaking is a communication style and asset that comes with learning and practice.
Photos: Courtesy of Lee Jae Phang.
Students play on the Yamaha S6 grand piano.
Learning the piano or learning music itself is a lifelong pursuit.
Regardless of where one is on one’s journey, Lee Jae says there is always something new to learn – develop a new skill, refine one which we have learnt, deepen our musical understanding, and discover new composers and their compositions.
“Each and every student performing today is a traveller on this long and beautiful musical journey.
“While we may not be taking the exact same road, we all are heading towards the same destination, and that destination is excellence in music.
“Hard work, commitment, honesty to oneself, perseverance and the love for music are part and parcel of the pursuit of excellence in music.”
Lee Jae Phang at the Symphonic Finale Concert at Wells Cathedral in July 2012. He won the prestigious annual Concerto auditions at the Wells Cathedral School (WCS).
At 13, Lee Jae won a full scholarship to study as a specialist pianist at WCS in Somerset, England, UK.
He got his first diploma in piano at the age of 11.
Lee Jae says learning and playing music is a journey with new and interesting discoveries – an enriching process that goes a long way.
He has a Master in Music Performance with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester in 2017 and admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music with Distinction.
Under expert guidance: The conductor was Christopher Adey. Lee Jae the pianist with the Wells Cathedral School Symphony Orchestra.
A Malaysian concert pianist, teacher, accompanist and chamber musician, Lee Jae has performed in many countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Austria, Italy, Beijing, Hong Kong, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Lee Jae won the ‘1st Beethoven Performance Award of the BPSE & Beethoven in Altaussee Festival 2016’ prize in Austria.
His deep love and fascination for Beethoven’s music saw him recorded almost all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas and published them on his YouTube channel – these sonatas being ranked amongst the highest Himalayan peaks of a pianist’s repertoire.
Lee Jae who was in the UK for more than a decade saw him receiving many awards, scholarships, funds and winning many competitions.
And performing in orchestras and the many masterclasses Lee Jae had with world renowned musicians have been proven to be invaluable in his musical pursuit.
A great start: A young Lee Jae with his professor at Wells Cathedral School (WCS)
At 13, he won a full scholarship to study as a specialist pianist at WCS.
Musical skills can be acquired in stages with the teaching and coaching of a good teacher/mentor.
While learning music requires hard work and perseverance, Lee Jae describes it as a journey to be enjoyed as we learned new things, made discoveries and progress.
Playing music can be likened to doing a jigsaw puzzle in a way.
There is a sense of purpose in our pursuit.
Every completed picture, be it a ten-piece or 1,000 piece puzzle gives us a sense of achievement and accomplishment.
And the same for music.
Recently, Lee Jae has completed a series on the ABRSM Piano 2025 & 2026 Grade 1 to 8. The series will be updated in this post.
Enjoy!
Making progress: Lee Jae doing a series on ABRSM Piano 2025 & 2026
