upcoming events
May Fifth Sunday Celebration – Worship at ten and Yan family concert at one
A classical concert featuring Dr. Jiafeng Yan and his family members will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 31st at Mattoon First United Methodist Church, 1601 Charleston Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938. Dr. Yan is the accompanist for the church’s 9 am Sunday traditional worship service. A free-will offering for the Yan family will be taken, and refreshments will be served.
This concert will mainly feature classical piano repertoire and a few selections from violin and cello music, including works by Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Bruch, Popper, Fauré, and Gershwin, etc.
Dr. Jiafeng Yan is an accomplished solo and collaborative pianist who has appeared at major piano and chamber music festivals across the United States and China. He has received top prizes in both national and international competitions and has performed as a soloist with the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Joliet Symphony Orchestra, Northern Illinois Symphony Orchestra, East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.
His solo album Fantasia (Pacific Media, 2020) has been praised for its thoughtful programming, impeccable technique, and expressive depth. Fanfare Magazine lauded his “true musical artistry,” “insight and panache,” and described him as “an artist of special talent.” His performances are regularly broadcast on WILL (90.9 FM) and WCSF (88.7 FM).
Currently on the faculty at the University of St. Francis, Dr. Yan is a dedicated educator whose students have earned top honors in regional, state, national, and international competitions. An active adjudicator, he has served on juries for the Illinois State MTNA Young Artist and Junior Piano Competitions, the Mid-America Chinese Music Festival, the Chandler Starr Miller Scholarship Competition, the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival (Bloomington District), and the Chambana International Music Competition. Dr. Yan also serves as Vice President of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA) and President of the Champaign-Urbana Music Teachers Association (CUMTA). He is the Associate Director of the Chambana International Music Competition.
He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and both his Master of Music and Performer’s Certificate from Northern Illinois University, where he studied with Drs. Timothy Ehlen, Christos Tsitsaros, Kenneth Drake, and William Goldenberg. Dr. Yan resides in Champaign, Illinois, with his wife, Jing Hao, and their two sons, Jason and James.
