Tag: #classicalmusic

Danbury Concert Association Opens 2026–27 Series with Acclaimed Pianist Ying Li, Sept. 20 @ 1 p.m.

The Danbury Concert Association launches its 2026–2027 concert season on Sunday, September 20, welcoming internationally acclaimed Chinese concert pianist Ying Li to the Visual & Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University.

The 1 p.m. performance will take place at 43 Lake Avenue Extension in Danbury and promises an afternoon of dazzling technique, expressive depth, and a captivating program featuring celebrated masterworks of piano repertoire.

Single tickets for the September 20th concert are $33.85 and may be purchased online, at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com, or at the VPAC Box Office (203-837-8732) up to curtain time. Admission is free for ages 18 and under, courtesy of the Danbury Cultural Commission. Season subscriptions at $89 for all four concerts are also available at https://ticketscandy.com/e/danbury-concert-association-202627-series-18376

Ying Li, phonoto credit Shervin-Lainez

Born in China, Ying Li began studying piano at age five. Just nine years later, her exceptional promise led her to Philadelphia’s prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Jonathan Biss and Seymour Lipkin and earned her bachelor’s degree. She continued her education at The Juilliard School in New York, completing her master’s degree in 2021 under the guidance of Robert McDonald.

That same year marked a major milestone in Li’s rapidly ascending career. She won the Premio Internazionale Antonio Mormone in Milan and was named a laureate of the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. These honors affirmed her place among the most exciting young pianists on the international stage.

Li has performed worldwide at renowned chamber music festivals and with leading orchestras. Her performances have brought her to celebrated venues, from Teatro alla Scala in Milan and Verizon Hall at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Cultural Campus to the Chicago Cultural Center and ACT Concert Hall in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Widely praised for her “nerves of steel,” technical brilliance, and profound musical sensitivity, Li brings a presence that is both commanding and deeply communicative. For her Danbury appearance, Li will perform a compelling and wide-ranging program featuring works by Bach/Busoni, Amy Beach, Stravinsky, and Qigang Chen. The repertoire offers audiences an opportunity to experience the breadth of her artistry—from clarity and control to sweeping virtuosity and emotional nuance. Following the concert, audience members are invited to stay and meet the rising piano star in person.

With Ying Li’s dynamic artistry opening the season, the Danbury Concert Association’s 2026–2027 series begins on a high note—inviting music lovers to experience a remarkable performer whose international career is already making an indelible impression.



About the Danbury Concert Association
The Danbury Concert Association is a nonprofit organization with roots dating back to the 1930s. Officially spun off from the Danbury Music Centre in 1957, the Association has brought internationally renowned talent to Connecticut every year since then, except during the COVID era. Today, performances are held at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University, featuring internationally acclaimed artists in a state-of-the-art concert hall. The Association presents four concerts per season, two in the fall and two in the spring, each followed by a meet-the-artists reception.

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The Danbury Concert Association presents Ilya Yakushev, piano Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m.

Renowned pianist Ilya Yakushev will make his Danbury debut at the stunning Visual & Performing Arts Center of Western Connecticut State University on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m. The third of four concerts in the Danbury Concert Association’s

Renowned pianist Ilya Yakushev
2025/26 series will feature works by Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, and Liszt, and be followed by a meet-the-artist reception that is open to all.

Tickets will be available on WCSU’s Eventbrite page for $25, and admission is free for ages 18 and under courtesy of a grant from the Danbury Cultural Commission.

About the artist
Ilya Yakushev has mesmerized audiences at major venues around the world, including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco; Sejong Performing Arts Center in Seoul, Korea; Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg; and Victoria Hall in Singapore. His many awards include first prizes at the 2005 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and, at age 12, the Young Artists Concerto Competition in his native St. Petersburg. A New York Times critic has noted that “Mr. Yakushev…cultivates a fiery, impetuous persona with both energy and brash humor…ready to pounce but delicate…at the keyboard he can do just about anything he wants.”

About the Visual & Performing Arts Center (VPAC)
The VPAC’s Veronica Hagman Concert Hall (located at 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury) has been a premier performance venue since it opened in 2014. The acoustics are excellent, and the vibe is at once casual and refined. With the hall’s open, in-the-round seating (for up to 350) each concertgoer can sit back and enjoy the artist–audience connection.

Mark your calendar for the fourth and final performance of the series, featuring cellist Sophie Shao & Friends, on Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m. See https://www.danburyconcert.org/ for details.

About the Danbury Concert Association
The DCA, a 501(c)(3) organization, has a local, volunteer board that organizes its series. Thanks to support from individual and corporate donors, and granting organizations like the Danbury Cultural Commission, it brings exceptional artists to the stunning concert hall on WCSU’s west side campus. The DCA invites everyone who wants to experience “beautiful music, where they live” to come to its concerts.

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Attention Classical Music Lovers: Pre-order Your Subscription to the Danbury Concert Association’s 2025/26 Performance Series and Save!

The Danbury Concert Association (DCA) proudly announces their 2025/26 performance schedule. Concertgoers can save on the full, four-concert series by ordering a subscription during August at the discounted rate of $75 per adult, just $18.75 per concert – a fabulous price for such world-class musicianship.

A Far Cry

First in the concert series is the triple Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra, A Far Cry, returning to the Visual & Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University on Sunday, September 21st at 3 p.m. The 15 Boston-based “Criers” will perform works by Caroline Shaw, Komitas, Osvaldo Golijov, and Benjamin Britten.

Upcoming Performances
Mark your calendars for the rest of the series, which includes “Piano Four Hands,” with Andrew Armstrong and Jeewon Park on October 26; pianist Ilya Yakushev on March 22, 2026; and cellist Sophie Shao & Friends on June 7, 2026. All concerts are on Sundays at 3 p.m. and each is followed by a meet-the-artists reception open to all. For details, visit https://www.danburyconcert.org/.

To order your discounted subscription, download a printable order form at https://www.danburyconcert.org.

Beginning August 21st, single tickets to A Far Cry’s concert will be available on Eventbrite at the regular price of $25 per adult. Admission is free for ages 18 and under, courtesy of the Danbury Cultural Commission.

For music lovers of all ages, The Danbury Concert Association presents world-class entertainment at incredible prices – join us and see for yourself!

About the Visual & Performing Arts Center (VPAC)
The Veronica Hagman Concert Hall at VPAC at Western Connecticut State University has been a game-changing venue since raising its curtain in 2014. Featuring a tri-level, in-the-round seating experience for audiences of up to 350, this elegant space is where beautiful form meets the highest standards of functionality. State-of-the-art acoustics and lighting create exceptional sensory experiences for patrons and performers alike, rivaling the best concert halls in the country.

About the Danbury Concert Association
Nearly 100 years young, the Danbury Concert Association (DCA) is a 501(c)(3) organization. Their singular mission since their inception has been to present a series of local, affordable, live concerts by exceptional professional musicians who perform in the world’s greatest concert venues. Through the tireless work of their all-volunteer board, the DCA continues to attract the highest caliber performance artists to Danbury, giving music lovers a rare opportunity to experience the finest in classical entertainment without having to travel to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or any far-off concert venue. For more information about the DCA (or to donate to their worthy mission), visit https://www.danburyconcert.org/.

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