P R E S S R E L E A S E
Eleven-year-old pianist Rui Gong of Newton (MA) will present his first solo recital of Scandinavian repertoire at the Scandinavian Cultural Center on Sunday, 7 September (2025) at 3 p.m.
206 WALTHAM STREET, WEST NEWTON, MA
Admission: Voluntary contributions
PROGRAM:
Nielsen: Six Humoresque-Bagatelles, Opus 11 (1897)
Sibelius: Étude in A minor, Opus 76, no. 2 (1911-19)
Peterson-Berger: Sommarsången (Song of Summer), Opus 16, no. 2 (1896)
Leifs: Íslensk rímnadanslög (Icelandic Folk Dances), Opus 11, no. 4 (1929-30)
Grieg: Suite Fra Holbergs tid (From Holberg`s Time) (1884)
Rui Gong – Piano
Rui was born in Austin, Texas on Christmas Day in 2013. He just completed 5th grade at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School in Newton and will be entering Bigelow Middle School this fall. He began his piano studies at age six at the Seed Music and Arts Center at Quincy, MA, where he developed a strong foundation in musicianship. At seven, Rui moved to Newton and began studying at the Li Fan Piano Studio, where his passion and talent for music flourished. During his three years at the studio, Rui earned multiple international awards:
🥇 1st Prize – 2022 Crescendo International Music Competition
🥇 1st Prize – 2023 Little Mozart International Music Competition
🥈 2nd Prize – 2023 Charleston International Music Competition
🥇 1st Prize – 2024 Miclot International Music Competition (Co-coached by Dr. Paul Bempechat)
In 2024, a 10-year-old Rui advanced his studies with Dr. Paul-André Bempéchat of Bedford (MA), a world-renowned authority in the music of the First Viennese School. Under Dr. Bempéchat’s guidance, Rui has explored complex works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and the Scandinavians represented in this program, and through his tutelage has developed a deep understanding of musical phrasing, emotional expression, and stylistic interpretation.
Today`s program represents each of the five Scandinavian countries, and highlights among each nation’s most revered nationalistic composers: Denmark`s Carl Nielsen, Finland`s Jean Sibelius, Iceland`s Jón Leifs, Norway`s Edvard Grieg and Sweden`s Wilhelm Peterson-Berger. Dr. Bempéchat will be introducing their historical backgrounds and impact on the history of music.
In addition to his musical achievements, Rui is a vibrant and multifaceted young artist. He is a passionate figure skater with Team Excel at the Skating Club of Boston and enjoys dance as a form of creative movement and expression. Rui is also an enthusiastic problem solver: a member of his school’s Rubik’s Cube Club, he has achieved a personal best of 17 seconds solving the 3×3 cube and enjoys mastering advanced versions such as 4×4, 5×5, and other complex variations.