Piano Appassionato: A Night of Virtuosity - Ioannis Potamousis

Passion and virtuosity ignite the stage with the music of Beethoven, Liszt, and more, in an unforgettable evening of piano brilliance

Piano Appassionato features two cornerstones of the piano repertoire, showcasing the instrument's dramatic power and profound emotional depth. Experience the intensity of Beethoven's “Appassionata,” a masterpiece of turbulent emotions and virtuosic demands. Then, prepare to be swept away by the monumental scale and narrative sweep of Liszt's Sonata in B minor, a work that pushes the boundaries of the piano's capabilities.

Adding to the evening's dynamic range, two exceptionally talented students, Je-Luen (James) Chang and Stanford Yu, present Saint-Saëns' vibrant “Allegro Appassionato”, a piece brimming with energy and melodic charm, and Liszt's fiery “Mazeppa”, a tour-de-force of technical prowess and evocative storytelling.

See the program:

D. Scarlatti: Sonata in f minor L 118

                    Sonata in f minor L 475

                    Sonata in d minor L 422

C. Saint-Saëns: Allegro Appassionato op 70

Piano: James Chang

F. Liszt: “Mazeppa” from the 12 Transcendental Études

Piano: Stanford Yu

L.v. Beethoven: Sonata in f minor No 23 op. 57 “Appassionato” 

      I. Allegro assai

     II. Andante con moto

    III. Allegro ma non troppo – Presto

Piano : Ioannis Potamousis 

BREAK 15 mins

F. Liszt: Sonata in b minor

Piano: Ioannis Potamousis 

F. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody no 2 arranged for one piano four hands by F. Bendel

Piano: Ioannis Potamousis and Stanford Yu

Ioannis Potamousis

Ioannis Potamousis described by the Pasatiempo as “New Colossus of the Keys” is internationally acclaimed as a charismatic and passionate performer, known for his captivating artistry and introspective, poetic expression. “…Ioannis Potamousis impressed the audience with his powerful and charming performance as well as his ability to create a dialogue with the orchestra,” wrote the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger of his performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto. “Great brilliance…unique atmosphere,” said the Cincinnati Post. The Gulf News wrote: “…It was worth just to listen to Potamousis play the Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody. As we watched the pianist lose himself, we too became mesmerized by the music which took our breath away….”, “…anyone should watch Potamousis in action- he is thunderous one moment, comedic the next, then delicate as air.

Potamousis’ performances have taken him to important international venues in Europe and the Middle East as well as across North America.  He has played at the Athens Concert Hall, the international summer festival and, on his Middle Eastern tour, to most major concert halls in Palestine. Ioannis has performed in all major venues in the United Arab Emirates such as Dubai Opera, The National Theatre, The Arts Center at NYUAD, and American University in Sharjah among others. The Dubai appearance included a collaboration with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Dubai and an Abu Dhabi appearance included a collaboration with the NSO Orchestra.

In New York, he has played in the Trinity Church Concert Series, the Mannes festival, and at Steinway Hall, the Harvard Club, and the Metropolitan Club.  He has performed concertos with New York’s New Amsterdam Symphony, the Collegium Musicum of Cologne, the Summit (New Jersey) Symphony, the Athens State Orchestra, the New Jersey City Symphony Orchestra, and the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra. 

Ioannis Potamousis was recently named as the UAE’s first “Steinway Artist”. He is a prizewinner of several international piano contests, including the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati (Silver Medal), the International Piano Competition in Santa Fe, New Mexico (First prize), as well as the Beethoven Sonata Competition in Memphis. He holds degrees from Musikhochschule Cologne, New York’s Mannes College of Music, and Rutgers University, where he received a Doctor of Musical Arts. His piano teachers include Roswitha Gediga, Pavlina Dokovska, and Susan Starr among others.  Currently, he is the Head of Keyboard Studies at Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Piano Faculty at New York University in Abu Dhabi. Ioannis is also the co-founder of “Pollen-spreading the seeds of music” and has organized concerto competitions for young musicians in the UAE with NSO Symphony Orchestra in Abu Dhabi.

Je-Leun (James) Chang

Je-Luen Chang is currently a senior student at NYU Abu Dhabi. He is pursuing a major in Business, Organization, and Society, and a minor in Music. He first learned to play the piano when he was 3 years old, under his mother's guide and inspiration. In elementary school, he participated in a four-year classical music program, playing the piano and the French Horn. Although he did not pursue music academically after graduation, he continues to practice instruments as a hobby, winning the National Student Music Competition in the French Horn solo category in high school. With Professor Potamousis’ teaching at NYU Abu Dhabi, he is rekindling his love for music.

Stanford Yu

Stanford Yu, eighteen years old, is a freshman pursuing a Mechanical Engineering major and a Music minor at New York University Abu Dhabi. His musical journey started on piano at age five and later broadened to violin (age seven) and viola (age thirteen). He studied piano with Melody Wu, Daniel Cheng, Benjamin Choupak, and Professor Kevin Fitz-Gerald of USC, and he is currently studying with Professor Ioannis Potamousis. Stanford has participated in masterclasses conducted by Till Fellner, Péter Nagy, Mark Livshits, Professor Bernadene Blaha, Dr. Wei-Yi Yang, Dr. Ning An, Alexander Kobrin, and Jon Nakamatsu. He also previously attended music festivals in Poland (Euro Arts Academy in Szczecin) and Italy (Virtuoso & Belcanto in Lucca and Amalfi Coast Music & Art Festival). Stanford has won numerous awards, most notable being the Winner of the Golden State Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, with the opportunity to perform with the Senior Symphony and the Finalist of the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in Enschede, the Netherlands. Outside of music, Stanford loves watching movies, swimming on the school team, and traveling around the world. Back in his hometown Cupertino, California, U.S.A, he also loves playing water polo with his friends and spending time with his pug, Mozart. As Stanford continues his journey almost halfway across the world from his hometown, he strives to find the perfect balance between academics and the arts to inspire him to this day and onward.