News

String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will welcome Zlatomir Fung, cello, and Gloria Chien, pianist, in concert on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Chien is the founder and Artistic Director of String Theory, which is in its 15th season. 

“Audiences were wowed by Zlatomir Fung’s extraordinary performance last March, and this season he returns to join me for a concert featuring a stellar line up of some of the most evocative works for cello and piano,” says Chien. This performance will feature Sibelius’s Malinconia, Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, and Fung’s personal arrangement of Janáček’s Jenufa.  

“Pregame with Bob” will take place at 5:45 p.m., in which Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Music Director Emeritus Bob Bernhardt will discuss the evening’s program, giving an in-depth look at the featured composers and works, including interviews with the artists.  

Another recent pre-concert feature is a local collaboration with Classical 90.5 WSMC called String Theory Hour airing on Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 7-8 p.m. This will be a dedicated hour celebrating String Theory artists past and present, curated by Chien and providing listeners with a sneak preview of the upcoming concert.  

As artist-in-residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra this season, Fung appears at London’s Cadogan Hall and tours the UK with the orchestra. He has also performed in recitals around the world. Orchestral engagements include the BBC and Rochester Philharmonics, Milwaukee, Reading, Lincoln, Ridgefield and Sante Fe symphonies, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, and APEX Ensemble. Fung has also appeared with the Detroit, Kansas City, Seattle, Utah, Greensboro, Ann Arbor, and Asheville symphonies. Past recital highlights include his Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall debut and tours throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He is also a winner of a fellowship from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust.  

Along with her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, Chien is the co-artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, as well as the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. For a decade, she was the director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo. She is a Steinway Artist who frequently appears with the Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center. Chien has had a relationship with Lee University for over 20 years, where she is currently an artist-in-residence.  

String Theory was founded in 2009 by Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical music scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers.   

Tickets for the Tuesday evening performance are on sale now through November 14 and are $45 for general admission, $35 for Hunter members, and $10 for students and music teachers. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit stringtheorymusic.org or call (423) 414-2525.