Michelle Han
Saturday, April 25, 2026
7:30 pm
Recital Hall
25, 2026, 7:30 PM
Capriccio in B-flat major, BWV 992, “On the Departure of a Beloved Brother” (1704)
Arioso: Adagio, “Friends gather and try to dissuade him from departing”
Andante, “They picture the dangers which may befall him”
Adagissimo, “The Friends' Lament”
“Since he cannot be dissuaded, they say farewell”
Aria of the Postilion: Allegro poco
Fugue in Imitation of the Post Horn
Fantasiestücke, op. 12: In der Nacht (In the Night) (1837)
Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, op. 20 (1853)
Pause
Ten Pieces from Cinderella, op. 97 (1943)
Spring Fairy
Summer Fairy
Autumn Fairy
Winter Fairy
Prelude in D major, op. 23, No. 4 (1903)
Prelude in D-flat major, op. 32, No. 13 (1910)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Clara Schumann (1819–1896)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Mommy’s Kiss (1968) Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
PROGRAM NOTES
Program notes by the performer
Bach: Capriccio in B-flat major
Composed when Bach was still a teenager, this capriccio is his only programmatic keyboard work. It is believed to have been composed for the departure of his brother Johann Jacob, and each of its six sections carries a descriptive heading: friends try to persuade him not to leave, reflect on the dangers of the journey, lament his departure, say farewell, and finally evoke the sound of the postilion’s horn as he rides away. Through its blend of affection, sorrow, and vivid musical storytelling, the work reveals a deeply personal side of the young Bach, showing the warmth and sincerity of a composer reluctant to part with a loved one.
R. Schumann: Fantasiestücke, op. 12: In der Nacht
Written in 1837, during the years when Robert and Clara were being kept apart, In der Nacht belongs to one of Schumann’s most imaginative piano cycles, whose title recalls E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Fantasiestücke in Callots Manier. Schumann later associated this piece with the myth of Hero and Leander, and its musical world seems to unite his two imagined selves: the passionate Florestan and the inward Eusebius. Its restless outer sections suggest anxiety, turbulence, and even nightmare, while the central lyric passage opens like a brief duet of consolation or embrace.
C. Schumann: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, op. 20
Before she was remembered as Robert Schumann’s wife, Clara Schumann was already one of the great pianists of Europe. Although composition was the place where she felt most free, marriage, motherhood, and the expectations placed on women left her little room to develop that gift fully. In 1853, for her husband’s forty-third birthday, she turned to one of his themes from Bunte Blätter, op. 99 and created Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, op. 20. Both beautiful and shadowed, the work carries traces of weariness, grief, passion, and quiet resilience, revealing the depth of Clara Schumann’s mature voice as a composer.
Prokofiev: Ten Pieces from Cinderella, op. 97
Drawn from Prokofiev’s Ten Pieces from Cinderella, op. 97, these four miniatures transform music from the ballet Cinderella into vivid character pieces for solo piano. Brief yet vividly atmospheric, they evoke the changing magic of the seasons: the brightness of Spring, the warmth of Summer, the restless color of Autumn, and the crystalline stillness of Winter.
PROGRAM NOTES
Rachmaninoff: Preludes
Rachmaninoff’s preludes form part of his complete cycle of twenty-four preludes in all major and minor keys, published across op. 3, 23 and 32, in the tradition of Bach and Chopin.
The Prelude in D major, op. 23, No. 4, was composed in 1903, during a period of creative renewal following the depression and artistic crisis that followed the disastrous premiere of his first symphony in 1897. With its long, singing line and gentle accompaniment, the piece unfolds in a tender, nocturne-like atmosphere.
Written in 1910, the Prelude in D-flat major, op. 32, No. 13, closes the later set on a broader and more imposing scale. Marked Grave, it unfolds with weight and solemnity, spacious sonorities, and an introspective character. Its retrospective theme suggests deep reflection, yet the piece ultimately rises to a powerful and explosive conclusion.
Pärt: Mommy’s Kiss
Written in 1968 for a children’s play of the same name about a charming bunny family, Mommy’s Kiss comes from an earlier stage of Pärt’s creative life, before the tintinnabuli style for which he later became known. According to the Arvo Pärt Centre, the piece reflects the image of a mother’s kiss as a source of courage, protection, and lifelong blessing. In the story, Mommy’s Kiss serves as a kind of secret power for the bunny children, making them braver and guarding them from danger. Pärt himself described it beautifully: ‘When a child leaves home in the morning, he or she always gets a mother’s kiss or a hug for the road. But actually, it is for their entire life—like a mother’s blessing.’ The work is dedicated to Pärt’s mother.
This recital is presented as a degree requirement for a Bachelor of Music in music performance.
Michelle Han is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Music in music performance at University of the Pacific, where she studies piano with Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and Dr. Sonia Leong. An active collaborative musician, Han performs with chamber ensembles and serves as an accompanist for various musical groups. Her experience includes accompanying the University Chorus and performing in a piano trio. She previously accompanied the University of Utah's A Cappella Singers and Women's Choir and served as pianist and choral conductor at the Korean Presbyterian Church of Utah. Currently, she serves as an accompanist at Hana-El Presbyterian Church in Dublin, California. She is also a member of the Music Teachers Association of California and maintains a private piano studio.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and Dr. Sonia Leong for their guidance, encouragement, and support, both in and beyond music. I am deeply grateful to my parents and parents-in-law for their love and prayers. To my husband, Allen, thank you for your love, encouragement, and constant presence by my side. To my beautiful children, thank you for being my greatest joy and inspiration. To my wonderful trio members, and to dear friends, thank you for your friendship, laughter, and the lightness you have brought to this journey.
—Michelle Han
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