Mainly Mozart Festival: Piano Fantasies

Explore the emotional depth and expressive range of the piano through a program that highlights the art of musical fantasy. As part of the 2025 Mainly Mozart Festival, pianist Jack Gao performs Piano Fantasies on Saturday, May 17 at Sanctuary of the Arts in Coral Gables.

Gao, winner of the 2023 Naumburg International Piano Competition and a standout talent at The Juilliard School, has earned acclaim for his nuanced interpretations and technical command. This solo recital traverses centuries of musical imagination, featuring works by Chopin, Mozart, Scriabin and Ravel. From Mozart’s introspective Fantasia in D minor to Ravel’s evocative Gaspard de la nuit, the program offers a journey through poetic lyricism, harmonic boldness, and stylistic innovation.

Program:

Frédéric Chopin

• Étude in E Major, Op. 10, No. 3
• Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 59, No. 1
• Études, Op. 10, Nos. 8 and 10
• Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 51
• Preludes, Op. 28, Nos. 21–23
• Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Fantasia in D Minor, K. 397

Alexander Scriabin - Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, “Sonata-Fantasy,” Op. 19

Maurice Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit

Presented by the Miami Chamber Music Society, the performance is part of the Mainly Mozart Festival’s 32nd season, Echoes in Motion, which runs May 17–June 6. The festival celebrates both classical traditions and contemporary interpretations through intimate and engaging performances.