PCC Piano Department presents "Bridging Past and Present"

Featuring current students and outstanding alumni from the PCC Piano Accompanying class, directed by Dr. Jocelyn Chang

Pasadena City College proudly presents: Bridging Past and Present: 2026 Collaborative Piano Alumni Concert A celebration of music, resilience, and reunion.

Join us at Westerbeck Recital Hall for the third annual Collaborative Piano Alumni Concert, a deeply meaningful evening that brings together current students and cherished alumni from PCC’s Piano Accompanying program under the direction of Dr. Jocelyn Chang.

Featuring current students and outstanding alumni from the PCC Piano Accompanying class who transferred to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, CSU Long Beach, Fullerton, Northridge, Los Angeles, Berklee College of Music, Azusa Pacific University, Mount Saint Mary's University, and the University of Redlands.

You are warmly invited to share in this celebration of artistry, memory, and homecoming—a night that bridges past and present through the music shared on stage.

Welcome from the Director of Keyboard Studies

It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 PCC Bridging Past and Present Collaborative Piano Alumni Concert. This evening unites alumni and current students in a celebration of artistry, mentorship, and connection across generations.

Tonight's program centers on the world of Robert Schumann (1810–1856), Clara Schumann (1819–1896), and Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), three artists whose relationships were rooted in admiration, friendship, and profound artistic respect. Their lives remind us that artistic growth rarely occurs in isolation. It is shaped by collaboration, encouragement, and the passing of knowledge from one musician to another. We are especially pleased to highlight the music of Clara Schumann, whose intellect and creative voice remain essential to this shared legacy.

The program opens with Schubert's An die Musik, a work of quiet gratitude that sets the tone for the evening. Each performance that follows reflects not only musical accomplishment, but also the spirit of artistic connection at the heart of collaborative piano.

Welcoming back alumni who once studied at Pasadena City College and performed in Westerbeck Recital Hall, and who now return as graduate students, performers, and educators at various stages of their musical journeys, is one of the greatest rewards of this endeavor. Their return celebrates the enduring impact of education and community.

Thank you for joining us and for supporting our students and alumni. With heartfelt gratitude, Dr. Jocelyn Chang

ENSEMBLES DIRECTOR

Dr. Jocelyn Chang, a pianist of profound artistry and versatility, came to the United States after making her acclaimed piano concerto debut at the National Concert Hall in Taiwan, winning an array of awards and having her performances broadcast nationwide. As an avid chamber musician, Jocelyn has collaborated with distinguished artists and faculty from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan), and the USC Thornton School of Music. Her performance engagements also include a concert tour with Grawemeyer Award-winning composer Chinary Ung. Currently, Dr. Chang serves as Director of Keyboard Studies and Associate Professor at Pasadena City College, where she was nominated for the “Risser Outstanding Teacher Award.” Previously, she taught at the USC Thornton School of Music as an Assistant Lecturer, where she was honored as a “Model Teacher.” Her academic journey also includes faculty appointments at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), where she served as Lecturer of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies. Beyond her teaching roles, Dr. Chang has been deeply committed to advancing equity and expanding access to the musical arts. At CSUSB, she founded the International Distinguished Performing Arts Foundation (IDPAF), the Dr. Howard Chen Piano Scholarship, and the Franklin Tzeng Piano Scholarship. She also launched the annual Piano Day event and served as Artistic Director of the Distinguished Artists Series.

Internationally, Dr. Chang has been invited to perform as a guest artist at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy, the College Music Society National Conference, the Beverly Hills International Music Festival, the Matthay Piano Festival, Aletheia University in Taiwan, Northern Illinois University, Illinois Wesleyan University, University of West Georgia, Pomona College, Marymount California University, California State University, Fresno, and Los Angeles City College. She has also presented masterclasses for the Music Teachers' Association of California (MATC) and at universities in the United States and Taiwan. In high demand as an adjudicator, Dr. Chang has served as a judge for competitions for the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Piano Competition, the Music Teachers' Association of California Piano Competition, and the United States Open Music Competition. Her piano students have been prizewinners in competitions and have been accepted into institutions including Harvard, Brown, Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Toronto, USC Thornton School of Music, Berklee College of Music, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. Many have gone on to successful careers as physicians or music professionals.

Jocelyn Chang holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Distinction from the USC Thornton School of Music, where she was awarded the Dean’s Full Scholarship and majored in Piano Performance, with minors in Keyboard Collaborative Arts, Double Bass Performance, and Music Education. She earned her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, where she received the Peabody Conservatory Scholarship, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the National Taiwan Normal University, where she also majored in Piano Performance with a minor in Double Bass Performance. From a young age, she trained in Taiwan’s highly selective national program for gifted young musicians and later pursued advanced study at the Belarusian State Academy of Music in Minsk, Belarus. Throughout her academic journey, she studied under the tutelage of Professors Boris Slutsky, Daniel Pollack, Stewart Gordon, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Zoya Kocharskaya, and En Wang. Dr. Chang serves on the artist faculty at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Italy. In 2025, she was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame, an honor that recognizes exceptional commitment to teaching and artistic excellence.

Website: www.JocelynChang.com

PROGRAM:

An die Musik, D. 547, Franz Schubert Siggi Fisher, soprano and Jordan Fong, piano;

Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8,
I. Allegro con brio, Johannes Brahms Edward Pan, violin, Nini Yu-Wen Wang, cello, and Emily Su, piano;

Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4, from Fünf Lieder, Johannes Brahms, transcribed by Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, Jefersson Melendez, euphonium I, Jessie Romo, euphonium II and Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, piano;

Träumerei, Op. 15, No. 7, from Kinderszenen, Robert Schumann, arranged by Drew R. Fenell Jessie Romo, euphonium I, Jefersson Melendez, euphonium II and Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, piano

Three Romances, Op. 22, I. Andante molto, Clara Schumann, Sol Huang, violin and Nadine Satamian, piano;

Three Romances, Op. 22, II. Allegretto, Clara Schumann Michael Arbaiza, soprano saxophone and Haiqi Huang, piano;

Four Duets, Op. 61, Die Schwestern, Klosterfräulein, Phänomen, Die Boten der Liebe, Johannes Brahms, transcribed by Naolin Vanegas, Malakai Cordoba and Daniel Perez, clarinet, Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, Haiqi Huang, Yihan Xu, and Mario Candelario, piano;

- Intermission -

Widmung, Op. 25, No. 1, from Myrthen, Robert Schumann, Sydney Landis, flute and Yinlin Ma, piano;

Three Duets, Op. 20, I. Weg der Liebe, Johannes Brahms,
 Sydney Landis, flute I, Kevin Dang, flute II and Yinlin Ma, piano;

Three Duets, Op. 20, II. Weg der Liebe, Johannes Brahms, transcribed by Naolin Vanegas Michael Arbaiza, soprano saxophone, Naolin Vanegas, alto saxophone and Haiqi Huang, piano;

Sapphische Ode, Op. 94 No. 4, from Fünf Lieder, Johannes Brahms, Eilífr Phan, baritone and Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, piano;

Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, Op. 120, No. 2, Johannes Brahms, I. Allegro amabile
 Daniel Perez, clarinet and Mingxuan Yu, piano;

Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, Op. 120, No. 2, Johannes Brahms, III. Andante con moto — Allegro
 Malakai Cordoba, clarinet and Cana Kashima, piano;

Vier Quartette, Op. 92,
 Johannes Brahms, transcribed by Leonardo Mota,

O schöne Nacht, Spätherbst,
 Abendlied,
 Warum, Leonardo Mota, Emma Petersen, Nicholas Morgan, and Mallory Michel, French horn, Kyle Ideguchi-Yamasaki, Emily Su, Mingxuan Yu, and Haiqi Huang, piano;

This performance is presented to satisfy a portion of the requirements for Piano Accompanying (MUSC 044).