RECITAL

Merkin Hall
Young Concert Artists

Ziatomir Fung - Cello
Tengku Irfan - Piano

Dall’Abaco - Three caprices for solo cello
Bloch - Baal Shem, B. 47
Berio - Sequenza XIV
Brahms - Sonata in E minor, Op. 38
Katherine Balch (YCA Composer-in-Residence) - Premiere

• 
  "Cellist Zlatomir Fung has already established his charismatic presence as soloist with orchestras including the Boston Pops and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. This debut program showcases his eclectic personality and artistry.

  Cellist Zlatomir Fung recently captured First Prize at the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition, as well as the competition’s sole performance engagement prize for a concert with Poland’s Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. Other performances as soloist with orchestra this season include the Dvorak Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman and the Bloch Schelomo with Orchestra Iowa.Previously, Mr. Fung has appeared in the U.S. with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops, Santa Cruz, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids Symphonies, and New England Philharmonic, and abroad with Romania’s State Philharmonic of Sibiu, the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Bucharest, and the Lausanne Sinfonietta in Switzerland. 

"As a First Prize Winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Mr. Fung makes his recital debuts in the 2018-19 Young Concert Artists Series at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall, sponsored by the Rhoda Walker Teagle Concert Prize and in Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center, sponsored by the Alexander Kasza-Kasser Concert Prize. He also won special performance prizes: the Buffalo Chamber Music Society Prize, Embassy Series Prize in Washington D.C., Friends of Music Concerts Prize, Paramount Theatre Prize, Lied Center of Kansas Prize, Sunday Musicale Prize, and Slomovic Prize for sponsorship of an Orchestra Partnership Project concerto engagement.

Zlatomir Fung will perform recitals this season for the Cosmos Club, Hopkins Center, Port Washington (NY) Library, Aaron Copland School of Music/Queens College, Jewish Community Alliance, Colgate University, Patrons for Young Artists in Poughkeepsie, Salon de Virtuosi, Tryon Concerts, Chamber On The Mountain in Ojai, CA, and the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr. Fung was a 2016 Presidential Scholar for the Arts, and won the 2017 Astral National Auditions, First Prizes at the George Enescu International Cello Competition in Romania, Johansen International Competition for Young String Players, Stulberg International String Competition and Irving Klein International Competition, and Second Prize at the 2018 Paulo International Cello Competition in Finland. He has participated at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Heifetz International Music Institute in Virginia and the Aspen Music Festival.  He is a regular member of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players in New York, and has been featured on NPR’s radio show “From the Top” six times, as well as on “Performance Today.”

Mr. Fung is of Bulgarian-Chinese heritage. Born in Oregon, he and his family moved from there to the Boston area so that he could attend the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. He is currently a full Kovner Fellowship student of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy at The Juilliard School. Outside of music, he enjoys cinema, reading philosophy and chess. Mr. Fung holds The Anne & George Popkin Cello Chair of YCA, and plays a 1705 Mattio Popella cello generously on loan from Marc Pasciucco.