Alan Woo, piano

Alan Woo plays piano at Ackerman Hall in the Michael C. Carlos Museum on Friday, October 16. It's a solo recital, and the program is built around virtuoso piano music. The New York Times has described his playing as having "assurance and vitality," and that's a good way to frame what he brings to the stage.

Woo is a Virginia native who studied at The Juilliard School and the Peabody Institute, where he worked under Robert McDonald and Yong Hi Moon. He made his Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall, performing with the Juilliard Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Before joining the faculty at the University of Georgia, he taught at Elizabeth City State University, so he's as much a teacher as he is a performer.

The recital is part of the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta's 34th season, which the society is billing as its most ambitious yet. The whole year is a celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven, marking the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. Artistic director William Ransom is leading the season, and the society's Music for Healing initiative brings live music to health care centers around Atlanta.

Ackerman Hall is inside the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. Admission is free, but registration is required, so you'll want to sign up ahead of time rather than just showing up. The concert is on Friday, October 16, in Atlanta.