New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Following the release of "Träumerei" and "Merry-Go-Round", Gina Alice's debut album Wonderworld will be issued digitally on 5 November by Universal
Music China on the Deutsche Grammophon label. This double-CD recording featuring 28 tracks is the first classical album released by Universal
Music China with a Spatial Audio version available for streaming in the Dolby Atmos format. The programme ranges from Western to Chinese music, classical favourites to movie soundtracks. Wonderworld brings out the versatility and multifaceted charm of Gina Alice, and takes us into her magnificent musical world.
As a rising young pianist, Gina Alice proves her expertise in interpretations full of artistry and virtuosity. She also brings her perceptions of life and experiences as a new mother into her music. Gina Alice hopes that Wonderworld will allow her to share beautiful moments with people and be an oasis for people who will resonate with her musicianship.
Wonderworld highlights classical and crossover music from both East and West. The album's repertoire begins with Romantic and late Romantic pieces. Among them are Schumann's "Träumerei", which is like a dream, a meditation, as well as a beautiful hope for the future, and Brahms's "
Lullaby", a work she often hums to her son. Gina Alice also has great enthusiasm for French works such as Erik Satie's charming "Gymnopédie No. 1" and Debussy's "La plus que Lente" and "Clair de Lune", which provide people with a brief moment for reflection. As well as peaceful music, the album also includes such exciting pieces as Brahms's "Hungarian Dances" for four hands, which Gina Alice performs in perfect harmony with her husband, the virtuoso pianist Lang Lang.
Gina Alice has moved her base from
Europe to Asia, leading her to discover more Eastern music from countries such as China and Japan. She has recorded some fantastic Chinese music for Wonderworld, including the popular "Silver clouds chasing the moon" and the impressive "Dance of Waterweeds" (piano version). Japanese Maestro Joe Hisaishi's soul-touching "Merry-Go-Round" is also included - the version of the score used for this recording was given to Gina Alice personally by the composer himself. Equally spellbinding is "Opus", by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Lang Lang was present during the recording session - he played the role of producer, working with the engineer on the album's tone and sound. Lang Lang also recorded two dance pieces by Brahms with Gina.
Gina Alice has also composed a highly imaginative piece called "
Encore" for the album. Like a soundtrack, it portrays unspoken emotions and will strike a deep chord in listeners' hearts.
"Music is for everyone," says Gina Alice. "Music can express emotions which words sometimes cannot totally convey. And music feels your joy, it feels your sorrow when you are in a difficult situation. It feels like it's there to help you, to give you some energy, to respond to you. And music is a good friend when you want to have a moment for yourself, a quiet moment or a fun moment." Gina Alice is committed to working in the classical field and presenting the music world with her best performances and compositions in the future.
Gina Alice was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and began taking piano lessons at the age of four. She gave her first public performance four years later, and went on to win a series of accolades at prestigious competitions, including first prizes at "Jugend musiziert" and the Wiesbaden International Piano Competition when she was ten. She received the Münchner Klavierpodium Audience Choice Award at twelve, and at fifteen began studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt. At seventeen, she performed with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie and was invited to return to the legendary hall soon afterwards. She continued her studies with the renowned pianist and teacher Gary Graffman and at Hamburg's Hochschule für Musik und Theater. Since graduating, she has worked with several orchestras in China, including the Shenzhen Symphony and Guangzhou Symphony orchestras, while in 2016, she mesmerised the audience present at her debut recital at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr, one of the world's most prestigious piano festivals.
