Ran Dank & Soyeon Kate Lee

With “a huge, richly varied sound, a lively imagination and a firm sense of style” (The New York Times), the prize-winning pianists and spouses Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee, will tackle Franz Liszt’s towering–and fiendishly difficult–transcription of Beethoven’s final orchestral masterpiece, the Symphony No. 9 in D minor in a special virtual presentation. As if the demands that Beethoven placed on the orchestra in this work weren’t enough, the imaginative transformation envisioned by Liszt throws down the pianistic gauntlet still further to create the dramatic colors and textures of the orchestra, and yes, that cathartic lift of magnificence: The Ode to Joy chorale.

Our April 2020 engagement with the Dank & Lee was cancelled due to COVID, but this hybrid engagement brings the duo back to our community featuring a live introduction with Dank & Lee in which they’ll introduce the work and its themes, examine the orchestral and pianistic challenges, and share their perspectives on performing the masterwork. Then, by special arrangement with the Library of Congress, Convocations will rebroadcast Dank & Lee’s exceptional performance from December 2020. This is a perfect way to honor Beethoven’s 250th birthday celebration season.