Rufus Choi, featured soloist at Winter Concert, March 12

On Sunday, March 12, Rufus Choi will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto #5, "Emperor." The concert begins at 4 p.m at Country Oaks Baptist Church, 20915 Schout Rd.

Beethoven completed writing the Emperor concerto in Vienna in April 1809 while the city was under siege by Napoleon's armies. The work premiered in Leipzig, Germany, in 1811, and it remains the best known and most frequently performed of Beethoven's five piano concerti.

Soloist Dr. Rufus Choi, a Korean-American pianist, has performed widely around the United States; Lincoln Center. Carnegie Hall, Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, and a solo recital in Savannah, Georgia. He has performed with the South Bay Chamber Orchestra and at the Redlands Summer Music Festival, with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra in Alexandria, Louisiana, at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Many of his performances have been broadcast on local television and radio stations. Choi has given various master classes, won major awards and performed throughout Europe and in the Far East.

Choi graduated from The Juilliard School where he studied with Oxana Yablonskaya. He was awarded an advanced degree from Music Hochschule in Germany where he studied with Vladimir Krainev. Konstantin Sirounian, Bruce Sutherland and Abbey Simon were previous teachers as well.

Choi believes in sharing his knowledge with students who love music. His students now compete in and win competitions worldwide. Choi's debut album, "A Musical Journey," was released by Cambria Recordings, and future projects include an all-Liszt CD recording. His music can be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and on various websites, including http://www.RufusChoi.com.

Choi currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Ruth Choi and their three sons, Noah, Micah and Nathanael.

The program will also feature the world premiere of a new work by the winner of the Composition Competition, David Stern, titled "San Gabriel Mountains." Haydn's Symphony #104, "London Symphony," will be performed as well. David Newby will be directing the afternoon concert.

Audience members may meet the director, composer, soloist and musicians following the concert. All Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra concerts are free to the community. For more information, see http://www.tehachapiorchestra.com or call (661) 821-7511.