Rachel Vetter Huang and Hao Huang, known as The Mei Duo on the violin and piano, respectively, will perform the world premiere of Gary Nash’s "For 2" when the Departments of Music at Scripps, Pomona, and Claremont Graduate University present "American Originals: Music by Charles Ives and Gary Nash" on September 10 at 12:15 p.m. in Scripps’ Balch Auditorium, 1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont.
Nash, an award-winning composer, is professor of music at Mississippi Valley State University. His music has been performed by symphonic orchestras nationwide and has won wide acclaim. His symphonic poem "Heroes" was first played by the Atlanta Symphony as one of the top entries in the National Black Arts Festival Competition in 1994. During the week of September, Dr. Nash will visit classes at Scripps and Claremont Graduate University to discuss music and composition.
During the noon concert, Rachel Vetter Huang and Hao Huang will also perform works by Charles Ives. As the Mei Duo, they hold the rare distinction of being honored by both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Violinist Rachel Vetter Huang has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops, among other renowned orchestras, and has participated as an American representative in the Respighi Festival in Citta di Castello, Italy, and on scholarships to the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals. Pianist Hao Huang has gained critical acclaim in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. He has served as an artistic ambassador of the United States Information Agency on four overseas tours, in which role he was a featured soloist at the twelfth George Enescu International Music Festival in Romania and at the Cultural Olympiad of Catalonia preceding the Barcelona Olympic Games. Both Doctors Huang are on the music faculty of Scripps College and Claremont Graduate University.