SUN CITY – From Schubert and Bach to Mozart and Debussy, Sun City’s Drendel Hall will once again ring with the music of the masters, as performed by returning guest pianist Wanda Paik on Monday, June 24.
Pianist Wanda Paik will perform in Drendel Ballroom on June 24. Paik describes herserlf as a Chicagoan – she earned her bachelors and masters degrees at Northwestern. (Photo Provided)
“This program is going to include pieces from Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Debussy. I’m a classical pianist and my range is from Bach all the way to Prokofiev, so I pretty much cover the whole classical repertoire,” Paik said.
Paik is a current resident of Massachusetts – although she defines herself as a Chicagoan at heart – and performed for Sun City several years ago. That performance came as a recommendation by Paik’s colleague and friend, Sara Hoff, who is a Sun City resident.
As a professional performer, Paik’s career has led her to perform in many renowned venues, both in the United States and across the globe.
“I received my bachelors and masters from Northwestern School of Music, right in the Chica
go area, and I play as a recitalist and as an orchestral soloist. I have played several times with the Boston Pop, with Erich Kunzel of the Cincinnati Pop, at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and at the Fogg Museum at Harvard University,” Paik said.
In addition to performing for several venues on the college circuit, such as the University of Hawaii, Texas, and North Carolina, as well as with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, Paik has showcased her talents abroad at locations such as the American embassies in Brazil and Trinidad, and in North Korea, her native nation.
Despite her well-traveled resume, Paik revealed that her musical successes began closer to home.
“My mother was my first teacher, and she encouraged me to play early on, and in high school I played in the Chicagoland Festival. When I had three children, I didn’t perform a lot, but I performed enough to keep it going. My opportunities have always been through word of mouth and being introduced to other people, and I’ve never had an agent,” she said.
In addition to Paik’s persistence, her success also stems from the heart.
“Having come from another country where everything is so different, I understood at a young age the universality of music. No matter where we come from, we respond to classical music in a way that brings out the best in all of us. It’s uplifting to feel like you’re part of something that’s larger than yourself and your own particular culture. Music crosses all kinds of boundaries,” she said.
Wanda Paik
Where: Drendel Ballroom
When: June 24, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $8 pre registration, $13 day of event
More info: sccah.com
