New York, NY, October 31, 2022 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– The New York Session Symphony performs November 12, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. at Broadway Presbyterian Church, 114 St at Broadway in Manhattan, in a free concert under the baton of Music Director Benjamin Niemczyk and featuring 15-year-old pianist Xuanxiang “Sean” Wu, Grand Prize Winner of the Philadelphia International Music Festival’s Fall 2021 Virtual Concerto Competition.

A 10th-grader at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria, Wu bested some 300 competitors from all over the world who submitted video performances to the prestigious competition. He’s also a student in Juilliard’s Pre-College Program, and is excited to perform the Schumann Piano Concerto in person with NYSS.

“There are very few opportunities to work with an orchestra,” he explained. “When I study the concerto, I usually cooperate with another piano. So, I cherish and look forward to this cooperation with Maestro Niemczyk and NYSS.

“The concerto is not only one of the most authentic documents of musical romanticism, but also among the most beautiful concerti in piano repertoire. I believe that the body and mind of the audience will be moved by Schumann’s wonderful melody, and I hope listeners will follow the music step by step into the romantic fantasy world.”

“Musicians need performance opportunities—especially when they’re young—in order to exercise and develop their gifts,” Maestro Niemczyk stressed. “Artists like Sean bring a luminous energy to their performance that is unique to young people. For the orchestra, that energy is inspiring.”

The concert promises inspiration for audience members as well, in an opportunity to hear a future classical star already making a name for himself.

Concert Details: Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 7:30PM. Admission is free. The concert features Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 (Xuanxiang “Sean” Wu, soloist) and Niels Gade’s Symphony No. 4. The venue is Broadway Presbyterian Church, 114 St at Broadway.

About the New York Session Symphony:
New York Session Symphony, Inc. (NYSS) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide the opportunity for accomplished musicians to rehearse and perform significant classical works and new compositions in the New York City area.

Offering free concerts, NYSS is a community orchestra with members who range from young professionals to accomplished avocational players. Since 2014, NYSS has proudly been the resident ensemble of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House; believed to be the only orchestra serving as a resident ensemble for a public housing facility.

About The Philadelphia International Music Festival:
Now in its 25th year, The Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) is a resident summer music program directed by Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra, offering student musicians from around the world the unique opportunity of spending up to four weeks immersed in music education and performance training with members of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.

PIMF’s semi-annual Virtual Concerto Competition welcomes hundreds of talented musicians from throughout the United States and across the globe to compete online for scholarships and prestigious performance opportunities. The audition portal for PIMF’s Fall 2022 Virtual Concert Competition is accepting submissions through December 31, 2022.