Tommy Vo, euphonium
Lucas Wong, Piano
Tommy Vo, Euphonium
Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Tommy Vo is a Canadian euphoniumist currently finishing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, he will become the first Canadian to receive a Doctorate in Euphonium Performance.
Tommy often performs with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Winds and the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, he performs the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill every summer with the Band of the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa. Over the years, Tommy has played principal euphonium with many diverse ensembles, including the University of British Columbia Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra. Most recently, Tommy has extensively performed and recorded with the North Texas Wind Symphony.
In 2019, he advanced to the semi-finals of the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference Solo Competition, and was the first Canadian student to win the United States Air Force Band’s Collegiate Symposium. In 2018, he was the first Canadian euphoniumst to compete as a semi-finalist in the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival. More recently, Tommy has placed in the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society Bursary Competition and the Orchestral Instrument Competition, and was the winner of the University of North Texas Concerto Competition.
Under the mentorship of David Childs, Tommy served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas. Tommy has also had the privilege to study under Dr. Brian Bowman and Peder MacLellan.
Lucas Wong, piano
Dr. Lucas Wong is an entrepreneurial musician and versatile administrator with a passion for driving success. He has over 20 years of proven excellence in music performance, teaching, and adjudication, with specialized focus on piano, accompaniment, and voice coaching across 4 continents and 12 countries. Praised for "his gifts for colour, nuance and tasteful dynamic contrasts" (Gramophone), his career highlights include multiple engagements at the Carnegie Hall, innovative recital programs like "Beyond 88" and the "Mostly Debussy" series, a complete performance of Des Knaben Wunderhorn at the Shanghai Conservatory, directorship of the Duparc melodies project at Songfest in LA, and collaborations with American composers such as William Bolcom, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, and John Musto. He has collaborated with reputable artists such as Joseph Alessi, Soovin Kim, Frank Morelli, Suzanne Mentzer, Simone Osborne, Edward Parks, David Shifrin, and Guang Yang. Also skilled in coding, web and app development, project and product management, sales, and customer service, Dr. Lucas Wong thrives on tackling intricate challenges, leading market research endeavors, and spearheading business development initiatives.
As a pianist wearing many different hats, Dr. Lucas Wong holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music, under the tutelage of Boris Berman. He also holds a Post-Graduate Associateship from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and a Teaching Fellowship at the Yale Department of Music. Past mentors include Tak Poon, Edward Parker, Robert Silverman, and Warren Jones. He has been the Assistant Conductor for the New York City Opera for two seasons, and the official accompanist of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
As an educator, Dr. Lucas Wong offers innovative resources, such as the recent “The Multifunctional Pianist: The Recipe for Orchestral Color and Playing" essay on the NATS Journal of Singing. He is the author of “The Multi-Functional Pianist” — a four-chapter curriculum designed to strengthen pianists’ awareness of improvisational, fundamental, and piano reduction skills.
Dr. Lucas Wong was the Artistic Director of Liederfest of Suzhou, a specialized program that introduced singers to art songs in various languages including Chinese. He was one of the founding piano faculty members of the Soochow University School of Music, where he was also the chamber music, collaborative piano, staff pianist coordinator.
Dr. Lucas Wong has been previously invited to perform, lecture, or give masterclass at many world-renowned institutions, such as the University of Hong Kong, Peking University, Seoul National University, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and the Juilliard School. He has served as a Visiting Professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Dr. Lucas Wong is both a Fazioli and Naxos recording artist.
This recital is generously sponsored by VWMS member Tony Roper.
| Pantomime (1988) | Philip Sparke |
| (b. 1951) | |
| Three Romances for Euphonium and Piano (2020) | Yasuhide Ito | I. Nostalgia | (b. 1960) |
| II. Ballade | |
| III. Intermezzo | |
| Carissima Mia (1969) | Helen Johnston |
| (1910-1982) | |
| Eommaya, Nunaya (Dear Mother, Dear Sister) (1992) | Music by Kwang Soo Kim |
| Poem by Sowol Kim (1902-1934) | |
| arr. Sungok Cho | |
| Concert Variations for Euphonium and Piano (1977) | Jan Bach | I. Tema | (1937-2020) |
| II. Capriccio | |
| III. Siciliano | |
| IV. Repressa | |
| V. Scherzo | |
| VI. Recitative | |
| VII. Coro | |
| VIII. Fuga | |
| La Précieuse in the style of Couperin (1910) | Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) |
| arr. David Childs |