In partnership with the UW Music Alumni Concert Series, the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program welcomes you to Absolute Sonatas, a duo concert between violinist Emily Acri and pianist Li-Cheng Hung on Monday, January 20, at the UW Brechemin Auditorium.
Violinist Emily Acri and pianist Li-Cheng Hung are excited to present this Absolute Sonatas duo concert. Absolute Sonatas highlights four distinct sonatas for violin and piano, where the roles are equally important. The first half of the program is rooted in the classical era, featuring renowned sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven. The second half opens with a piece by violinist Emily Acri’s grandfather, a pianist and composer influenced by various musical styles. Written in Sonatina form, this piece resembles jazz, showcasing whimsical rhythms and chord progressions. Prokofiev originally composed the sonata for flute and piano, but it has become a cornerstone of the violin repertoire. While Prokofiev often incorporates elegant neoclassical elements, the dramatic sweeping gestures of the final movement reveal its 20th-century origins.
Emily Acri, violinist
Violinist Dr. Emily Acri, originally from Winnetka, IL, earned degrees from Indiana University (BM ’15), the University of Michigan (MM ’17), and the University of Washington (DMA ’20). After completing her doctorate, she served as an Artist Year AmeriCorps Fellow in Colorado, creating musical projects for K-4 students that promoted social-emotional growth and supported the curriculum. She also performed and curated concerts in her community. In 2022, Emily returned to Seattle, freelancing as a violin and viola teacher and performer. Emily is excited to start 2025 in her new role as Education and Community Engagement Coordinator at the Seattle Chamber Music Society. She credits her musical inspiration to her late grandfather, the Chicago pianist Robert Acri.
Li-Cheng Hung, pianist
A native of Taiwan, Li-Cheng Hung holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Washington, under the tutelage of Dr. Robin McCabe. A recipient of numerous awards, Li-Cheng was the 1st-prize winner of the 2014 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, which led to a solo performance in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She was a top prize winner at the UW Concerto Competition and has performed with the UW Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she has collaborated with the Burmese Orchestra at the National Concert Hall in Taiwan and received a scholarship from the American Taiwanese Charity and Education Association in Washington, D.C. Recent highlights include being invited as the guest pianist from the LA Taiwan Academy for the multimedia concert “Whispers of Trees” on a U.S. tour with the Seattle Symphony String members in Seattle and Los Angeles and performing a chamber music concert for the Hubbard-Males Piano Competition in Oklahoma City. In April 2025, she will be invited to present her “Absolute Sonatas and Virtuosity” proposal at the University of Kansas. Currently, Ms. Hung serves as a rehearsal pianist and teaching artist at the Seattle Opera and maintains her private piano studio in the greater Seattle area.
Absolute Sonatas is a collaborative effort between the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program and its generous partner, UW Music.