Philippine-American pianist, Cecile Licad is expected to generate much excitement among concert-goers in her recital at the Forbidden City Concert Hall tomorrow.

Although she is unfamiliar to audiences in China, Licad has enjoyed a tremendous international career for over 20 years.

"Licad came across as an appealing combination of fragile grace and fiery power," the New York Times hailed.

As one of the youngest musicians to receive the prestigious Leventritt Gold Medal in 1981, Cecile won immediate international recognition.

She has appeared regularly with orchestras across the US, Europe and Asia, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Tokyo's NHK Symphony and her native Philippine Philharmonic.

"Licad, like all the other artists who are invited to the Imperial Garden Concert Series, possess a superb technique that fills her playing with brilliance," said Dan-Wen Wei, president and artistic director of the International Concert Alliance as well as the organizer of the concert series.

The next concert of the Imperial Garden Concert Series is to feature the dazzling, young, American violist Jennifer Frautschi on April seventh.

So far, the concert series have brought musicians who already have a wide ranging reputation. This year, Wei plans to invite more talented musicians who will become the "greats" of the future.

The intelligent, passionate and energetic Frautschi is such a violinist. "She's a young soloist worth watching," Wei said.

Born in 1973, Frautschi learned to play the piano from three years old and displayed exceptional talent.

Since her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the tender age of 16, she has garnered awards, performed concerts throughout the world and has been praised by critics. The Los Angeles times described her playing as "crisp, aristocratic and audibly confident."

(China Daily March 14, 2002)