Symphony appoints
new concertmaster

Manalapan Parks and Recreation, sponsor of the Manalapan Battleground Symphony, and Chiu-Tze Lin, music director and conductor, have announced the appointment of the symphony’s new concertmaster, Dezheng Ping. Ping succeeds Nancy Granda, who was concertmaster for 18 years. Granda retired after the symphony’s annual family concert on Feb. 29.

Ping is a well-known violinist and violin teacher. He has given recitals and has performed as a soloist with several orchestras around the world, performing in Japan, Malaysia and Macao as well as Europe. His performance of the Mozart Strings Quartet was broadcast on television by the Public Broadcasting System.

Ping received a bachelor of arts degree from the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music in China, and a master of arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Moorhead.