Fun

In my free time, when I'm not preoccupied with raising my daughter (1998) and two sons (2000, 2002), I play soccer and violin, both at a high amateur level. I'm also trying to get better at the game of go.

Soccer

In 1995 I tried out for Major League Soccer. I made it past two cuts, but wasn't invited to the national training camp. My career in academia was sealed.

I currently play on Waterloo FC in the O-40 Premier Division of the Austin Municipal Soccer Association.

When I lived in New Jersey, I played on Livingston United in the Semi-Pro division of the Garden State Soccer League.

Definitions of common soccer terms and governing bodies.

Ever wonder why it's called soccer?

Violin

I started playing in the Buffalo Suzuki Strings when I was 4. At the end of high school I performed Nigun by Bloch, and Tambourin Chinois by Krysler. While at Carnegie Mellon, I played with the CMU Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Boston's Symphony Hall.

I play periodically as a part of Echo at UT Austin.

  • Jancek's quartet No. 1 3rd and 4th movements [a second performance]: Fall 2019.
  • Beethoven's quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 (Serioso): Spring 2019.
  • Ravel's quartet, 2nd and 3rd movements: Fall 2018.
  • Schubert's quartet no. 15 (opus 161), 1st movement: Spring 2018.
  • Smetana's quartet no. 1 [sound file] (2nd mov't starts at 8:15; 3rd at 14:20; 4th at 24:10): Fall 2017.
  • Shostakovich's quartet no. 9, 4th and 5th movements [sound file]: Spring 2017.
  • Beethoven's string quartet no. 132, 4th and 5th movements: Fall 2016.
  • Borodin's string quartet no. 2, 1st and 3rd movements [sound file]: Spring 2016.
  • Moszkowski's Suite for 2 Violins and Piano, 2nd and 4th movements [sound file]: Fall 2015.
  • Cesar Franck's Piano Quintet in F minor, 3rd movement [sound file]: Spring 2015.
  • Johannes Brahms' Piano Quintet in F minor, 1st movement [sound file]: Fall 2014.
  • Anton Arensky's piano trio no. 1, 1st movement: Fall 2013. 3rd and 4th movements: Spring 2014.
  • Antonin Dvorak's Dumky Trio, 3rd movement: Spring 2013.
  • Gustav Mahler's piano quartet in A Minor: Spring 2012.
  • Our rendition appeared in a short horror film in 2016 called Turn Around (I get a credit at the end, and an IMDb entry under "Soundtracks")
  • On December 5th, 2021, I performed a quartet concert of Beethoven Op. 18#6, Prokoviev Quartet #2, and short Glazunov pieece with Mary Brown, Alan Chen, and Shu-Yi Scott: Facebook live stream

    On November 14th, 2020, I performed an outdoor quartet concert with Mary Brown, Gerald Liu, and Shu-Yi Scott:

  • Beethoven Op.18#3
  • Mendehlsson Op.80
  • Haydn Op.33#2 (The Joke)
  • On July 4th, 2020, as part of Raphael's Senior cello recital, he and I played 4 short duets by Reinhold Gliere:

  • Berceuse
  • Intermezzo and Impromptu
  • Scherzo
  • On April 19th, 2020, Raphael and I played "Schindler's List" by John Williams in a holocaust memorial ceremony.

    On May 4th, 2011 I played violin at the AAMAS 2011 banquet in the Grand Hotel in Taipei.

  • Telemann Canonic Sonata #2, 1st movement with Soo, Joun-Huei (Stellina) on violin.
  • Sicilienne and Rigadoun by Fritz Kreisler with Ho, Shiou-Joun on piano.
  • On April 12th, 2008 I played a solo violin recital with Brett Bachus on piano.
    The program, with links to quicktime videos of the performance (may take a while to load), was as follows:

    Kol Nidrei, Max Bruch

    Sonata No. 14, W.A. Mozart

  • Allegro
  • Adagio
  • Allegretto
  • Sonata No. 3, 1st movement (Allegro), Johannes Brahms

    3 impressions and a waltz, Leopold Godowsky

  • Larghetto Lamentoso
  • Legende
  • Wienerisch
  • Waltz Poem No. 1 in G major
  • Roumanian Folk Dances, Bela Bartok (the tape ended before the last 2 movements)