The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is pleased to host a special recital to showcase the winners of the 2011 San Diego Symphony’s "Best and Brightest" concerto competition. These amazing young pianists’ talent will be sure to impress you. Danli Liang, a 16-year-old junior at La Jolla Country Day School and 14-year-old

home-schooled 8th grader Adrian Liu will receive scholarships from Advocates for Classical Music, a non-profit organization, whose mission is to "encourage future musicians and build audiences for classical music through support of music education and appreciation."

Danli Liang, 16, started learning piano when she was five. She is a first prize winner of multiple prizes and awards in local, state, and international piano competitions, including MTAC State Concerto Piano Competition 2011 (Convention Winner), where she debuted with the Diablo Symphony Orchestra; Los Angeles International Bicentennial Liszt Piano Competition ( Div. III ) 2010, where she also won the Best Concert Etude performance award; and the San Diego Symphony Young Artist Competition. She will be featured as a soloist with the San Diego Symphony. For the past two summers, Danli attended the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy at the Beijing Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Gabriel Kwok of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In July 2011, she was invited to perform in the Concert of Winners sponsored by the American Liszt Society to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt.

Adrian Liu, 14, is the current second place winner of the San Diego Symphony’s Young Artist competition as well as the first place winner of the Division II MTAC Concerto Competition. He has taken first and second place in the 2007 and 2008 Sonata Festivals, respectively, and was a finalist in both 2009 and 2010. He has also been a finalist at the Bach Festival in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Liu aims to find the truth of the music and express it sincerely.

This special collaboration concert will be held on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. A wine and cheese reception will follow. The recital is free to attend but seating is limited. To RSVP, call (858) 454-5872 by February 15.