Chopin Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 10 No. 4 Practice

Last updated February 15, 2026


I am still working on the Chopin Etude. Tempo: currently a little over 120 bpm and aiming for about 140 bpm; notes: a few sections could be cleaner; dynamics: need to accentuate; memorization: not yet, but I will need to do this to avoid interrupting the piece from having to turn the page. I think it will likely take me at least another half a year to make it “performance-ready”, at least with my current technique.

Rach 2 with Bruce Liu

Last updated January 22, 2026


I never was really a fan of Rachmaninoff growing up, but I have been obsessed with his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor after discovering this Yuja recording a few years ago. It was a privilege to see Bruce Liu play this concerto in person.

TwoSet Violin in Toronto!

Last updated November 6, 2025


I am beyond ecstatic because not only did I catch a TwoSet Violin concert, I got to meet them too!

Swan Lake with the National Ballet

Last updated March 12, 2025


I caught another Tirion Law performance, this time in Swan Lake. The National Ballet really has gorgeous costumes and staging. My absolute favourite part was the first half of the Pas de six - Variation II (Andante con moto), danced as a Pas de deux. I wish I had a recording from the performance, the orchestra took a slower than usual tempo and made it heartbreakingly tender. I vividly remember gaining newfound appreciation for the beauty of the oboe the first time I listened to a selection of the pieces from this ballet suite performed by the San Francisco Symphony. A close second would be the virtuosic Russian Dance, it reminds me a lot of a Paganini Caprice actually.

Nutcracker with the National Ballet

Last updated December 28, 2024


I attended the National Ballet of Canada’s performance of The Nutcracker this year, as it has been a few years since I last went. The set design and the costumes were just gorgeous. I think when I attended the performances of both the SF Ballet and the LA Ballet the family was German, which is the case in the original story, but everything was very Russian in the staging of the NBOC. They also added a little boy to the cast to accompany Clara on the journey to the Land of Sweets, which I have not seen before. Some of my favourite moments were a cannon that shot string confetti into the audience during the battle with the Rat King, changes made to the “Tea” dance to be less culturally insensitive, and the emotional “Coffee” dance which I think is quite underrated. It was a privilege to watch the talented duo of Tirion Law as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Siphe November as the Nutcracker performing the famous Pas de Deux. I took a video of the curtain call which you can check out below!