Mark Cheng At The Piano

“Cheng emoted with a wealth of shades and emotions ... modern and decadent ...” — The Straits Times

Singaporean pianist Mark Cheng studied the piano under Timothy Ku and Seck Mei Ling, and from an early age with Yeo Kian-Boon and briefly with Chong Poh Kong. He is a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM), a piano teacher, pianist at the Singapore Ballet, and former accompanist at the Singapore Ballet Academy, having worked with distinguished faculty Janek Schergen, Mohamed Noor Sarman, Han Kee-Juan, Jeffrey Tan, Rosa Park, Ong Long, and Wu Mi.

Cheng is Chairperson of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Piano Ensemble Alumni (NUSPEA), and served as Student Music Director and Vice-President of the NUS Piano Ensemble (NUSPE), during which he conducted workshops and masterclasses on solo and duo/duet playing, improvisation in classical music, and music in ballet. He has performed regularly in solo, duo and ensemble settings under the NUS Arts Festival, ExxonMobil Campus Concerts or other independent platforms, including Touch (2019/17/16/15), Touched: Appassionata (2018), Images (2015), Once Upon A Time (2014), Klaviesta! Tri-University Concert (2014/13), Melodias (at the library@esplanade) (2019/18/14/13/12), NUS Commencement Dinner (2014), Baroque Bravura! (for Alfred Music’s 90th Anniversary) (2013), Pas de Deux (2013), and Genius or Nuts? (2013).

In March 2021, Cheng's debut recital, Mark Cheng in Recital, launched powerfully to a socially-distanced live audience - garnering the immediate attention of local press. The showing, on the subject of ‘death’, delivered an unabashed “90 minutes of simmering melancholy, brooding catharsis and violent death throes.”

Programme

Kodály Dances of Marosszék

Liszt Csárdás macabre, S.224

Alkan 12 Etudes in All the Minor Keys: 5. Marche funèbre; 9. Adagio

Pinto Grand Sonata in E-flat minor, Op. 3, No. 1

Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor (‘Sonata-Fantasy’), Op. 19

Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61