(upbeat music) - The Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, kicks off its 50th anniversary season with a solo recital by the bronze medalist from last year, Wynona Wang.

Kary Billings is here to reflect on this landmark season and share what's ahead.

Hi, Kary.

- Hello.

- I was just asking you before we started rolling, like how long you've been with the Bachauer Foundation, and it's like your entire life.

- 20 years officially, but I really grew up with it.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, since I was 12, I was attending and volunteering, so my whole life really.

- Wow, so this really is a passion project for you.

- That's why we do it and why we have so much fun.

- (laughs) So the 50th anniversary season, that's quite a landmark.

- 50 years, we weren't sure we'd get here, but here we are and we're doing great, 50 years.

Yeah, it started as a small festival and now we're known internationally as a worldwide, brilliant competition and piano organization.

- So tell the audience a little bit about Wynona Wang and why you decided to bring her back to kick off the season.

- Yes, well, as you mentioned, she was our bronze medalist last year, and she was really an audience favorite.

She played beautifully, of course.

And she lived in the U.S. and New York City.

And we were just, were excited to have her back here in Utah with a concert that she really created and dreamt up.

It's called Adrift and it's based on memory and a sense of belonging and finding oneself.

And her program is really, really centered on those themes.

Probably the most focused pieces, Schubert's "Wanderer Fantasy," which the name says it.

Wandering, searching, finding meaning in life.

It has lots of variety, but it has one of the most famous, exciting endings in piano literature.

So really a great piece.

- What other pieces did she add to the program?

- She's also doing a piece that I don't know well, but it's so wonderful.

It's called "Pi Huang," and it's based on Chinese opera, so it's colorful, has drama, has the rhythms.

And it's really interesting that Chinese opera has been transformed into a piano piece.

It's really exciting and wonderful.

- That is fascinating 'cause it's such a different musical experience.

- Whole different medium and genre, but it works on the piano amazingly well.

I've heard her play it and it's an audience favorite.

- Oh, that's wonderful.

Well, thank you so much for being here, giving us a little bit of a preview.

And we can't wait for this performance and we hope the audience comes to see it.

- Thank you.

- If you'd like to learn more about this great performance from the Gina Bachauer Foundation, it's Wynona Wang.

She was here last year, but she's coming back to kick off the 50th anniversary season on September 26th at 7:30 PM.

It'll be at the Jeanné Wagner Theatre, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

Learn more at bachauer.com.

That is bachauer.com.

(upbeat music) I'm Laura Durham and thank you for watching "Contact."

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