Violinist Eric Leong and pianist Dmitry Cogan in concert January 23, 2010

Violinist Eric Leong and pianist Dmitry Cogan will perform Mozart, Tschaikovsky and Franck in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Congregational Church of Belmont, 751 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont.

Leong is a performer and teacher of violin, viola, and trumpet. He performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. He was born in Redwood City and began piano at 5, violin at 7 and trumpet at 9. He holds a bachelors degree from the San Francisco Conservatory where his primary teachers were Ian Swensen and Mark Sokol. In 2001, he received his Masters of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Patinka Kopec. For the past three years, he has been a member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra, directed by James Levine.

Cogan was born in Moscow and began music studies at the age 6. In 1974, he immigrated with his family to the United States and settled in San Francisco. He studied conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continued his piano studies with Vladimir Pleshakov and Maria Cysic. In 1979, he moved to New York to study with Martin Canin at the Julliard School of Music where he received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. His American debut was in 1975 with the Peninsula Symphony in San Mateo. In 1976, he won the Junior Bach Festival in Berkeley. In 1981, he was prize winner at the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition in New York; in 1982 he won first prize at the American Music Scholarship Association International Piano Competition in Cincinnati.

Leong and Cogan will perform the Mozart Sonata in A major, the Tschaikovsky violin concerto in D Major, (first movement only) and the Sonata in A major, by Cesar Franck.

Refreshments will be served during intermission. General admission is $15 with $10 for children and seniors.

For further information, call 650-593-4547 or visit www.uccbelmont.org.

Official Website: http://www.uccbelmont.org