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Sarah Tuan: Precision, Clarity, and Heart

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Sarah Tuan plays at the Shoemaker salon

Sarah Tuan

I was impressed when I saw pianist Sarah Tuan play for my Juilliard Extension class. So I was thrilled to attend her January 31st, 2026 recital at the Shoemaker salon on Central Park West. Despite New York’s frigid weather, the salon was filled to capacity.

Ms. Tuan entered the room to infectious cheers from her supporters. She briefly reviewed the first half of the recital, noting that she likes to include Chopin due to her transformative experience participating in the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2021.

Chopin Mazurkas

The recital opened with three mazurkas. Although in triple time, a mazurka is in no way a kind of waltz.  In Opus 24 No. 3, Ms. Tuan’s rhythmic control and perfect fermatas created that authentic mazurka sway. In crowd-pleaser Opus 33 No. 3 her sparkling trills were the stuff of magic. Opus 50 No. 1 was lighter on charm and heavier on dance.

Grieg: Sonata in E Minor, Op. 7

Sarah Tuan NYC January 31, 2026

Sarah Tuan described this work as stark, romantic and almost tragic. Her pace was unforced, neither as showy as Denis Matsuev or as withdrawn as outlier Glenn Gould. She promoted Grieg’s tense colors with precision and clarity, showing a lot of power and strong command of the instrument. I loved her reflective second movement (Andante molto) and her stately Alla Menuetto.

Debussy: Arabesque No. 2 in G Major

Ms. Tuan spun the bird-like trills of this playful arabesque with ease. The middle section softened and flowed, then the luminous trills returned before the final pianissimo. I prefer Sarah Tuan’s performance to Debussy’s, because unlike Debussy she didn’t rush the conclusion.

Schubert: Sonata in A Major, D. 959

Sarah Tuan’s Sonata clocked in at 35 minutes, requiring a lot of stamina. For this writer, the highlight of D.939 was the Andantino. Ms. Tuan’s restrained performance of this anguished, sighing eight-minute movement was crystal clear, tearing at the heartstrings while perfectly-voiced hands cooperated and contrasted. To hear Sarah Tuan play Schubert’s Andantino at the Shoemaker salon, click below.

 

Sarah Tuan with Robin Shoemaker

Satie: Je Te Veux (encore)

After such a weighty program, Satie’s lightly sentimental waltz was an ideal encore. Ms. Tuan played with humor, flirtatious rubato and sensuous voicing, charming the room as the concert drew to a close.

Final Thoughts

Sarah Tuan is a confident, versatile pianist who does not engage in keyboard theatrics. At times she would lean back and her gaze would lift, but mostly she watched her hands. Sometimes she sang silently, with an occasional smile. She clearly loves what she does.

As to artistry and technique, Ms. Tuan has it all. Her Grieg was excellent, her Schubert was profoundly moving, and her Satie encore delightful. Keep an eye on her website for future performances.

 

Elegant Piano by Richarlita You in NYC

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Richarlita You at Central Park West

Richarlita You

On Saturday November 15th, 2025, I attended Richarlita You‘s recital at Robin Shoemaker’s salon on Central Park West, New York.

Richarlita You is currently returning to the stage after a two-year hiatus. Her repertoire for this concert was more a musical biography than a typical concert program. Each work represented a segment of her journey from childhood in Taiwan to life in the United States.

Schubert Impromptu B-flag major D.935 No. 3

Ms. You opened with Schubert’s delicate, wistful B-flat Impromptu. She described it as a reflection of her childhood, and of the moment she committed to becoming a pianist. I thought I recognized that moment in the sober, almost somber close of this otherwise uplifting work.

Liszt: La Campanella

Liszt’s notorious étude followed. While there was some tension in the delivery, it was vigorous and entertaining. I particularly enjoyed watching the pianist’s repeated-note technique from my front-row vantage point.

Scriabin: Sonata No. 2 in G# minor Op. 19 “Sonate-Fantasie”

The emotional center of Richarlita’s program began with Scriabin’s Sonata. In it she recognized echoes of her early years after crossing the ocean to the United States, finding a “path that we shared” in Scriabin’s oceanic composition. Her interpretation was heartfelt and evocative.

Richarlita You

Debussy: Clair de Lune

For Richarlita You, this work is a personal refuge. During her challenging early months at Juilliard, Spotify serendipitously selected Debussy’s Clair de Lune for her while she walked around Lincoln Center under a full moon. Her luminous performance carried that sense of serenity.

Brahms: Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2

Introducing Brahms as her favorite composer, Richarlita You mentioned the poignant story of Brahms’ love for Clara Schumann. The Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2 was Richarlita’s way of inviting us all to take a moment to think about the people that we love, and to cherish the precious relationships that we have with our loved ones.

True to the composer’s Andante teneramente (tender) marking, Richarlita’s Intermezzo wrapped us in warm, melancholic beauty.

Chi-Lien Hung: Memories (from Five Pieces for Pianoforte)

Richarlita You found  Chi-Lien Hung’s Memories in a bookstore by accident. The score reminded her of her home town and the land she grew up in  (Taiwan). This light, reflective pentatonic gem had an authentic Chinese feel.

Richarlita You with Robin Shoemaker

Balakirev: Islamey “Fantasie orientale”

Balakirev’s Islamey is a notoriously difficult work. The composer himself acknowledged that he couldn’t play some parts of it. Originally written in 1869, Balakirev revised it in 1902, adding alternative passages (ossias).

This was Richarlita You’s debut performance of Islamey, a bold way indeed to mark her return to public performance. Aside from the difficulty, this was a musically interesting experience. It is based on folk music from the Caucasus in Russia, giving it a certain brooding Russian taste.

Final Thoughts

Richarlita You’s recital was a brief musical autobiography, presented with elegance and considerable skill. The program’s personal thread was fascinating, and the intimate salon setting made the experience all the richer.

For those who missed this performance, the same repertoire is listed for her Groupmuse recital scheduled for Saturday January 17th, 2026.

 

Mateusz Mikolajczak at Kosciuszko Foundation NYC

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Mateusz Mikolajczak at Kosciuszko Foundation

On March 26, 2025, the Kosciuszko Foundation presented a piano recital by Polish pianist Mateusz Mikolajczak. The event was held in the concert hall at their headquarters a block from Central  Park.

The concert hall was itself a work of art, its wood-paneled walls covered with fine paintings.

The Steinway grand piano looked like a well-used music academy instrument, but sounded great.

Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1

I loved Mr. Mikolajczak’s performance of this, one of my favorite Chopin’s Nocturnes. I caught myself thinking here I am, listening to an accomplished Polish pianist play this riveting work written 189 years ago. Maybe it’s time I made a pilgrimage to Poland.

Liszt: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca from Années de Pèlerinage

I had mixed feelings about Mikolajczak’s Liszt. While the pianist swayed back and forth with the phrasing and made artful gestures with arm and hand, the piano did not convey such emotional weight. I speculate that perhaps body language was at the expense of pianistic expression. Readers might compare Yunchan Lim’s performance. 

Chopin:  Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61

The Polonaise-Fantaisie can feel a bit rambling. However Mikolajczak’s delivery gave me a new respect for the piece. I became fascinated by how Chopin’s themes and motifs would leave and later return with renewed magic.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.23 “Appassionata” Op. 57

Tantalizing fragments of Beethoven echoed down the stairwell while Mikolajczak was rehearsing.

But nothing could prepare me for sitting in the front row while he performed Beethoven’s Appassionata. He was compelling.

So much vigor and drama, such crisp, virtuosic delivery! We loved it, giving the pianist a standing ovation.

Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84

I am amazed that anyone can play this elaborate work from memory. But Mateusz Mikolajczak seemed to thrive on Prokofiev’s unusual tonalities and relentless, driving rhythms. However I noticed toward the end of the last movement that the tips of the pianist’s fingers had become dark pink.

My favorite moments in this work were the tantalizingly evanescent “ocean swell” phrases, when Mikolajczak made us feel like we were on a ship in heaving seas, the pianist rising from his bench to stay in control.

Mateusz MikolajczakClosing Thoughts

The pianist’s profile and curly hair made me think of European aristocrats from a bygone age. His interactions with his audience were correspondingly gracious, but brief.

Much of the time at the piano, his hair fell over his face. I wanted to know more about who this fascinating pianist was, but he was immersed in his art so that would have to come later.

Mateusz Mikolajczak is a classy performer with immense concentration, impressive technique and a flair for drama. I would be interested to hear his interpretations of Bach/Busoni or Bach/Liszt.

The Kosciuszko Foundation

Rotunda at Kosciuszko Foundation NYC

The Rotunda at KF

The membership-supported Foundation promotes educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland. Their premises at 15 East 65th Street provided the perfect venue for this recital.

The Foundation, its people, and the good work that they do thoroughly impress me.

Special thanks to Ewa Zadworna for facilitating my attendance and discreet use of a camera.