LIVE | Xavier Miyazaki, 18, cello

Today we hear a live recital from cellist Xavier Miyazaki, a student of Hans Jørgen Jensen of Northwestern University. He’s joined by pianist Liang-yu Wang in music of Beethoven, Dall’Abaco, Schumann, Mayuzumi and Popper. Xavier Miyazaki, 18, went to Saint Ignatius College Prep for high school and was a fellow in the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, where he played for the likes of Paul Katz and Lluís Claret and performed for older adults in isolation through an MIC outreach program. He was named a 2024 YoungArts winner and was invited to attend the interdisciplinary YoungArts lab. This fall, he will begin at Northwestern University, studying Manufacturing and Design Engineering & Cello Performance. Xavier studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and plays a German cello from around 1890, generously loaned to him by the Carlsen Cello Foundation. Thank you to cellist Jean Hatmaker of the Kontras Quartet for lending her instrument at the last minute for this recital.

Om Podcasten

Introductions is WFMT’s weekly Saturday morning program that features talented pre-college classical musicians in the Chicago area. Soloists and chamber ensembles perform live in WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio. Large ensembles, including orchestras, choirs, and bands, are recorded at their home venues and broadcast at later dates. The program also features youth music competition winners. While many students who appear on Introductions pursue other careers, some have gone on to study music at some of the most prestigious music schools around the world and pursue careers as professional musicians.