Jewish Songs and Dances for Piano: Joel Engel's "A krants yidishe folksnigunim" (1924)

Sidney Krum Young Artists Concert Series Admission: Free Register for an email reminder. Register

Join us for a performance of Joel Engel’s A krants yidishe folksnigunim (1924): a collection of Jewish folksongs, dances, Hasidic nigunim, and religious melodies in arrangements for piano and four hand piano. Engel’s earlier Jewish Folksongs volumes I, II, and II (featured by YIVO in November 2020 and June 2021) were the first published classical compositions to feature Yiddish folksongs. His use of Yiddish folk music in his compositions proved to be influential and inspired the Society for Jewish Folk Music and the composers affiliated with it to create a vast oeuvre of similar work.

This collection of 29 pieces will be performed by Ryan MacEvoy McCullough and Sahun Sam Hong.

The Sidney Krum Young Artists Concert Series is made possible by a generous gift from the Estate of Sidney Krum.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

About the Performers

Pianist Ryan MacEvoy McCullough has developed a rich musical life as soloist, vocal and instrumental collaborator, composer, recording artist, and pedagogue. His growing discography features many world premiere recordings, including solo piano works of Milosz Magin (Acte Prealable), Andrew McPherson (Secrets of Antikythera, Innova), John Liberatore (Line Drawings, Albany), Nicholas Vines (Hipster Zombies from Mars, Navona), art song and solo piano music of John Harbison and James Primosch (Descent/Return, Albany), and art song by Sheila Silver (Beauty Intolerable, Albany). He has also appeared on PBS’s Great Performances (Now Hear This, “The Schubert Generation”) and NPR’s From the Top. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with major orchestras including with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony Orchestra and has collaborated with such conductors as Gisele Ben-Dur, George Benjamin, Fabien Gabel, Leonid Grin, Anthony Parnther, Larry Rachleff, Mischa Santora, and Joshua Weilerstein. He lives in Kingston, NY, with his wife, soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon.

Pianist Sahun Sam Hong brings his colorful style and riveting energy to the solo, chamber, and concerto stage. Hong was the winner of the 2017 Vendome Prize at Verbier and a prizewinner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and International Beethoven Competition Vienna. He was also the recipient of a 2021 American Pianists Award. On the roster of Young Steinway Artists since 2010, Hong has been featured as a guest soloist with orchestras including ORF-Vienna, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Camerata New York, Fort Worth, Richardson, Racine, Waco, Galveston, and Brazos Valley Symphony. He has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, Église de Verbier, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center. In addition to performing, Hong is a prolific arranger of chamber music and orchestral works, and his innovative transcriptions are performed all over the world. The chamber music collective, ensemble132, presents Hong’s creative transcriptions on annual tours throughout the United States.