Great Composers Chamber Music Series
October 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Scott-Skillman Recital Hall, Harris Center, Folsom
Individual tickets will go on sale September 1, 2025
Featuring violinist Lingyu Dong, pianist Roger Xia, joined by cellist Susan Lamb Cook
Program
Arensky: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 32
Allegro moderato – Scherzo (Allegro molto) – Elegia (Adagio) – Finale (Allegro non troppo)
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100
Allegro amabile – Andante tranquillo (Vivace — Andante — Vivace di più — Andante — Vivace) – Allegretto grazioso
Beethoven: Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96
Allegro moderato – Adagio espressivo – Scherzo (Allegro) – Poco allegretto
Ravel: Tzigane
Lingyu Dong, violinist
Lingyu Dong is a highly accomplished young violinist with extensive performance experience and a series of prestigious awards. He began his violin studies in 2005 and gave his first concerto performance with the Shandong Symphony Orchestra at the Shandong Grand Theater in 2007 at the age of 7. His early musical education under the guidance of Professor Lam Yiu-kee paved the way for numerous international performances and competitions, with notable achievements such as winning 1st prize at the Hong Kong International Violin Competition in 2011 and the East Asia International Violin Competition in Tokyo in 2015.
Throughout his education, Lingyu has received distinguished training at several top
institutions. He was admitted to the High School Attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 2013, where he also received a full scholarship and the prestigious Bob Program award. His time at the Central Conservatory allowed him to further hone his skills and connect with a broad network of international musicians. In 2018, he was admitted to the Colburn Music Academy in Los Angeles, where he studied under the mentorship of Margaret Batjer, and became the Second Violin Principal of the Colburn Orchestra. The following year, he continued his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, studying with renowned violinists Midori Goto and Arnold Steinhardt. At Curtis, Lingyu’s leadership abilities were recognized when he was appointed concertmaster of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
Lingyu’s performance career has seen him collaborate with prestigious orchestras such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra, Austrian
Philharmonic Orchestra, and Russian State Symphony Orchestra. He was invited to perform at the Kremlin in 2014, where he played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for President Vladimir Putin. He has also been a frequent guest artist in major venues around the world, including the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In addition to his performing career, Lingyu has participated in numerous masterclasses with world-renowned violinists and pedagogues such as Zakhar Bron, Maxim Vengerov, Augustin Hadelich, and Xiaoming Wang. These experiences have further enriched his artistry and musical insight, allowing him to develop a well-rounded approach to both solo and orchestral performances.
Currently, Lingyu is pursuing his Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory, studying with Donald Weilerstein. He continues to cultivate his passion for music and looks forward to future endeavors in both solo and orchestral settings, aiming to contribute to the global classical music scene with his unique voice as a violinist.
Roger Xia, pianist
Roger Xia recently graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Biology and Music and a Coterminal M.S. in Biomedical Data Science. He studied piano with Elizabeth Schumann and violin with Owen Dalby, also taking chamber music lessons with Christopher Costanza. Roger has studied music with Natsuki Fukasawa, Richard Cionco, Thomas Schultz, Dong Ho, William Barbini, and Susan Lamb Cook. He was a winner of the Mondavi Young Artists Competition (2015) and National Young Arts Foundation (2018, 2020) and has performed with the National Youth Orchestra (2019-2020). Roger was Concertmaster of both the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (2017-2020) and Stanford Symphony Orchestra (2020-2024) and performed as a piano soloist with both orchestras. Last year, he played Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G as a soloist with the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra. Outside of music, he enjoys snowboarding, ping pong, and practicing Muay Thai.
Susan Lamb Cook, cellist
Susan Lamb Cook is currently Lecturer in Cello and Chamber Music at the University of California, Davis. She is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra and is Artistic Director of the VITA Academy’s Great Composers Chamber Music Series. She is an active performer and educator both nationally and internationally and is sought after as soloist and chamber musician with performances throughout Europe, the Far East, and the United States. She has served on faculty for the Saarburg Festival, Germany, the Vianden Festival, Luxembourg, and on the artistic staff for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. As a member of the Kismarton Trio, Susan has performed concerts in the Hungarian National Museum and the Petöfi Museum of Literature, Budapest, and performed the opening concert for the 2024 International Music Festival, Grosslobming, Austria. She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras and is highly regarded as master clinician. Following her studies at the University of Iowa with Charles Wendt, she moved to Vienna, Austria where she continued her studies and performed with numerous ensembles in Austria, Hungary, and Italy. During the decade she spent in Europe, Susan performed with the Arena di Verona opera orchestra, completing three seasons and joining the orchestra for a tour of Egypt with performances of Aida which used the grand Luxor Temple as backdrop. She completed at degree at the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria under the guidance of Angelica May, then joined the teaching staff as assistant professor of cello, a position she held for two years before returning to her home of Sacramento.