Alyssa Kok’s Upcoming Recital Featured on Lianhe Zaobao

On the 22nd of May 2026, Alyssa Kok was featured in Lianhe Zaobao for her upcoming solo piano recital at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore, titled “The Romantic Piano Virtuoso”. The article was written by Zhang Heyang.

Original (中文): https://www.zaobao.com.sg/lifestyle/culture/story20260522-9075247

Translation (English):

Arts Watch 艺起看
Piano Recital: A Dialogue Between Chopin and Liszt
Guo Liying Guides Audience Through Romanticism

▲ Guo Liying Piano Recital: Dazzling Colors of Romanticism
Date: August 11 (Tuesday), 7:30 PM
Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio
Ticket Price: $35
Tickets: http://sistic.com.sg/events/virtuoso0826

Local pianist Guo Liying will present a piano recital featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, two representative composers of the Romantic era. Guo will personally provide commentary during the concert, guiding the audience through an engaging experience between dazzling piano technique and musical interpretation.

The recital will feature four representative works by Chopin and Liszt, covering different genres and creative periods.

First Half – Chopin
The program opens with Variations on “Là ci darem la mano”, Op. 2, an early representative work composed by Chopin at age 17. It draws from the duet “Là ci darem la mano” in Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. This piece not only showcases the popular “brillante style” of the early 19th century but also reveals the lyrical and poetic expression that would become Chopin’s hallmark.

This is followed by Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, one of the most important works from Chopin’s later period and regarded as the pinnacle of his sonata compositions. Compared to his more experimental first two sonatas, this work demonstrates a highly concentrated formal structure and profound lyricism.

Second Half – Liszt
The second half features Liszt’s Grandes études de Paganini No. 3 “La Campanella” and Rhapsodie espagnole. Through virtuosic language and exotic dance elements, these pieces showcase the cross-cultural musical imagination of Romantic-era composers.

Born in 2002, Guo Liying went to Europe for advanced training at age 12. She studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Poland. The junior program she attended was generally open only to Polish students, and she was the only foreign student. After graduating from the Mozarteum, she earned her master’s degree in Poland.

Guo is fluent in both Chinese and English, and is also proficient in German, Polish, Italian, and other European languages. This allows her to more keenly grasp cultural contexts when interpreting repertoire. She says:

“Listening to Chopin and Liszt in the same concert is like being in a salon dialogue — one whispers softly in your ear, while the other declares his stance with explosive energy. Both speak from the heart, and both go to extremes. That is the essence of the Romantic spirit.”

(Article by Zhang Heyang)

Photo caption: Local pianist Guo Liying will present a dazzling Romantic-era solo piano recital, interpreting works by Chopin and Liszt. (Photo provided by interviewee)