Gund Series presents piano duo

The piano duo of Michael Seth Orland and Jacqueline Chew will perform in Rosse Hall on Tuesday, March 23, at 8:00 p.m. as part of the College's Gund Concert Series.

The two pianists will offer selections from the work of twentieth-century composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992). The first half of the program features three sections from Twenty Contemplations of the Infant Jesus and a section from Catalogue of the Birds. Following an intermission, the duo will perform Visions of the Amen.

A devout Roman Catholic, Messiaen combined his faith with a modern aesthetic and technical prowess to produce works of outstanding musicianship and powerful emotion.

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Orland is currently on the faculty there, teaching in the Young Musicians Program. He has performed in mixed chamber ensembles as well as in solo appearances.

Chew holds degrees from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the State University of New York at Binghamton. She has been performing since the age of fifteen, when she was concerto soloist in youth concerts of the San Francisco Symphony. Since 1990, she has performed, toured, and recorded as pianist with The Women's Philharmonic.

Chew worked professionally with Messiaen and has recently prepared a recording of Twenty Contemplations, which will be released this year. She teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and San Francisco Community Music Center.