Expect to hear the sounds of Romantic composers this Saturday at a Port Coquitlam concert to benefit the BC Children's Hospital and people with disabilities in need of financial aid.
Fifteen young pianists studying with Coquitlam teacher Kyoung Hee Choi will tickle the ivories as part of the third annual Helpful Hands of Classic Piano Society recital at Terry Fox Theatre.
Among the pieces to be performed are Beethoven's Sonata in C-minor (Pathetique); Schubert's Impromptu in E-flat major; Brahms' Rhapsody in B-minor; Chopin's Polonaise #3; and Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto in G-minor.
Choi said she and her students - aged seven to 19 - look forward to the year-end show, which is sponsored again by Tom Lee Music, though many are nervous being on stage to display their talent.
"I tell them to do the best that they can, to listen to the sound they make and not to worry to be perfect," she said.
"My students are so lovely. I may be strict with them during their lessons but they bring so much joy to my life."
Choi said she relies on her students to help her get around as her debilitating illness prevents her from even playing the piano.
The rheumatism she has had for about 15 years has gnarled her hands so badly that she can only show her students basic technique.
Her disability is compounded by poliomyelitis, which she contracted at eight months old and caused a partial paralysis of her left leg, as well as a constant ache in her stomach.
In her early 20s, Choi, 52, developed ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disorder that has sent her to the hospital many times and has ended her life-long dream of becoming a university professor of music and a concert pianist.
Now, she said, her students are "living their dream and I'm proud of them."
Tickets are available at the door.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
