TROY — Hayner’s Drawing Room Chamber Concert will feature Kun Dong on violin, Benita Tse-Leung and Jackson Leung on piano

Kun Dong and Benita Tse-Leung began their collaboration as a violin/piano duo in the fall of 2014 and have been well received and critically acclaimed. This collaboration has been described as a union of “imaginative colors” and “a collaboration of great unity.” The violin/piano duo have been featured in recitals in the U.S., Macau (SAR) China and an extensive tour to Taiwan that included performances in Taipei, Kao Hsiung and Tai Chung. The concert on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. will feature two special additions. Dr. Jackson Leung will join Benita Tse-Leung for a remarkable Dvořák Slavonic Dance piece with four hands on piano. In addition, the trio will debut a performance of an old Irish folk hymn specially arranged by Steven Aldredge.

Dong began studying the violin under the tutelage of her father at the age of 5 and later continued her musical training at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Preparatory School. A versatile performer, Dong often appears as a soloist and as well as a chamber musician. Her numerous recitals have taken her to major cities in the US, Canada, her native China and many European countries including Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, England and Russia. As a featured soloist, Dong has performed with many orchestras including the Shanghai Radio Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Ballet, the Central Conservatory Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and the West Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. Dong has been with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 2002 and is a tenured member of the orchestra.

Dr. Benita Tse-Leung is Faculty Associate at Wright State University. Born in the U.S., Tse moved to Hong Kong at an early age and began her musical studies there. She returned to the U.S. to continue her education in music and obtained her BM, MM and DMA performance degrees at Temple University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Tse has performed with her husband as a duo piano team throughout the U.S. and abroad and in 1989, she and her husband, Dr. Jackson Leung, established a piano studio that was committed to teaching serious piano students. Their mission was to inspire and instill the highest qualities of musical learning. Their students have won numerous awards and competitions all over the world. Since 1991 Tse has been serving as a U.S. representative for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. She recently received awards of Excellence in Piano Teaching by Carmel International Piano Competition in Indiana and in 2019 the Cincinnati Arts Association Arts Educator Award.

Leung is a Professor of Music and Director of the Chamber Orchestra at Wright State University. As a pianist, Leung has performed in France, Spain, Japan, Hong Kong and throughout the U.S. and Canada. With his wife, Leung has performed duo recitals and made concerto appearances throughout the U.S. and abroad, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Japan, Canada, Bermuda, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and China. He has been featured as guest conductor with the Pan Asia Symphony (Hong Kong), Hrádec Králove Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic), the Macao Orchestra, the Westsächsisches Symphonieorchester (Germany), Bourgas State Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), “Mihail Jora” Philharmonic Orchestra of Bacau (Romania), Macau Youth Symphony, the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra and the Seven Hills Sinfonietta. Leung has led Wright State University Orchestras in performances throughout the Miami Valley, including performances at the Schuster Performing Arts Center, Dayton Art Institute, Corbett Auditorium at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and at the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference.

This intimate chamber series has been presented at the Hayner on the last Tuesday of most months in the school year since 1998. We are pleased to have concert pianist Steven Aldredge as our host. Aldredge is also a sought-after composer and an educator at Wright State University. The series is presented free to the public because of the generosity of the citizens of Troy and our loyal sponsors. Learn more about Hayner’s cultural events and the good folks who support them at www.TroyHayner.org.