January 15, 2023 | London, United Kingdom
On a crisp winter evening in London, the iconic KOKO opened its doors to a full house for a special piano recital by Paul Ji. The historic venue, known for its eclectic programming and intimate atmosphere, was bathed in warm light as the audience settled in, anticipating a night of extraordinary music-making.
From the first notes of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata”, Paul commanded the stage with both passion and precision. The intensity of the opening movement was balanced by the lyrical tenderness of the second, before building to a thunderous finale that drew the first of many ovations of the evening. The mood shifted as Paul introduced the gentle folk-inspired Liu Yang River, a heartfelt nod to his Chinese heritage, followed by Chopin’s Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, where grace and bravura danced hand in hand.
After the intermission, the hall was filled with the expansive sound world of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy, performed in one breathless arc that seemed to transport the audience far beyond the walls of KOKO. The shimmering beauty of Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon offered a moment of pure stillness, before the fiery energy of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody brought the audience to their feet.
But the evening didn’t end there. Paul returned to the piano for three encores — Liszt’s sparkling La Campanella, a soulfully intimate Chopin Nocturne, and Brahms’s tender Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2. Each piece felt like a personal gift to the listeners, many of whom lingered after the final note, reluctant to leave the moment behind.
Full Program:
Part I
Beethoven — Sonata No. 23 in F minor “Appassionata”, Op. 57 (25 min)
1. Allegro assai
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro ma non troppo — Presto
Liu Yang River (3 min)
Chopin — Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22 (14 min)
Intermission
Part II
Schubert — Wanderer Fantasy, Op. 15 (23 min)
Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon (3 min)
Liszt — Spanish Rhapsody (14 min)
Encores
Liszt — La Campanella (5 min)
Chopin — Nocturne (4 min)
Brahms — Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2 (5 min)
The night at KOKO was more than a concert; it was a shared journey through emotion, memory, and the boundless possibilities of the piano. For those in the audience, it was an evening that will echo in their hearts long after the music has faded.
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