Shuguang Gong, Sahada Buckley & Trace Johnson

media release: On Friday, December 16, 2022 at 7:30pm, Arts + Literature will present To Space and Back: An Evening of Piano Trios, featuring Shuguang Gong (piano), Trace Johnson (cello), and Sahada Buckley (violin). Tickets $15 ($10 student/ALL member) in advance online at https://spaceandback.bpt.me, and $20 at the door.

Shuguang Gong

A pianist from China, Shuguang Gong is currently working on his master's degree with Professor Christopher Taylor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He got his bachelor's degree from Beijing Normal University and performed at National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing concert hall, and other major concert halls in China during that time. He also joined the exchange program at New England Conservatory, Boston University, and Birmingham School of Music. He was the winner of the 2021 Mead Witter School of Music Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Irving Shain Beethoven Competition, and Irving Shain Woodwind and Piano Duo Competition.

Sahada Buckley

Sahada Buckley is a violinist and cross-disciplinary artist from Fairhope, Alabama. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in Music Theory and Violin Performance and is currently earning her Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying with Pro Arte Quartet first-violinist, David Perry. At UW-Madison, Sahada is a member of the graduate string quartet, the Marvin Rabin String Quartet. In 2018, she performed as a soloist with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra after winning the 2018 UGASO Concerto Competition and, in 2019, she through-hiked the Appalachian Trail with a violin on her backpack. Sahada has attended festivals such as Meadowmount School of Music, Tanglewood BUTI, Montecito Music Festival, and Green Mountain Music Festival. In Madison, Sahada plays with multiple small ensembles exploring the possibilities of experimental improvisation. Two of her albums have been featured on Bandcamp Daily’s ‘Best Experimental Albums’ List. Sahada spends her free time walking her dog, painting and attending concerts.

Trace Johnson

Trace Johnson is a cellist known for his effortless musicality and fierce commitment to music-making of all styles and genres. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Trace has appeared as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral musician in a wide variety of settings in the United States and around the world. Equally at home teaching in the studio or performing on stage, Trace is a devoted and thoughtful communicator who enjoys a varied career as a cellist, teacher, and musician. Trace holds cello positions with the Sarasota Orchestra in Sarasota Florida and has also recently appeared with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Trace is a Collins Fellowship Recipient at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree.