Infusing “intoxicating grace” with “exceptional musicality” and “inconceivable virtuosity,” pianist Fei-Fei conjures a special and undeniable connectivity with her audiences that brings joy, passion, and deep musical understanding (Badische Neueste Nachrichten).
The concert is followed by a reception where you can meet the artists.
All are encouraged to attend.
Claude Debussy
Suite bergamasque
Sergei Rachmaninov
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42
I N T E R M I S S I O N
Nadia Boulanger
Vers la vie nouvelle
Franz Liszt
Sonata in B Minor
Fei-Fei appears by arrangement with the Cliburn Agency.
A note from Fei-Fei:
This program is centered around reflections—both in the way composers draw inspiration from the past and in how their works capture deeply personal moments of transition. Each piece touches on reflection, transformation, or an intimate inner journey.
Debussy’s Suite bergamasque is a tribute to the past, evoking the elegance of Baroque dance forms. Its most beloved movement, Clair de lune, placed at the heart of the suite, serves as its emotional core and breathes a moment of reflection.
Rachmaninov’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op. 42, was his final solo piano work. He transforms a 17th-century theme into an imaginative set of twenty variations, filled with virtuosity and deep emotions, nostalgia, longing, and searching.
After intermission, Nadia Boulanger’s Vers la vie nouvelle (“Towards a New Life”) offers a brief yet poignant meditation on transition and renewal.
The program concludes with Liszt’s monumental Sonata in B Minor, a work that itself is a reflection—on the soul, destiny, and transformation. Written at a pivotal moment when Liszt was withdrawing from the virtuoso stage to explore a more introspective and spiritual path, the sonata unfolds like a psychological journey, telling the story of a struggling yet heroic protagonist.
Infusing “intoxicating grace” with “exceptional musicality” and “inconceivable virtuosity,” pianist Fei-Fei conjures a special and undeniable connectivity with her audiences that brings joy, passion, and deep understanding of the music (Badische Neueste Nachrichten). Her engaging and endearing personality shines through in each note, each word, and each expression—whether performing as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician on world stages, or as a community outreach advocate.
“Sporting a naturally gracious charm and stage presence,” Fei-Fei has “shared her musical passions unstintingly” around the globe (Peninsula Review). Recent projects include her role artist-in-residence with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic touring in Germany, a Carnegie Hall performance and tour of Spain with the New York Youth Symphony, a cross-disciplinary collaboration with Ballet Arkansas, a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at Lincoln Center with the Pegasus Symphony, a 19-city tour of China with her Aletheia Piano Trio (Fei-Fei is a founding member of the 10-year-old ensemble), and performances of lesser-represented repertoire, including concertos by Leroy Anderson, Florence Price, Clara Schumann, and Xiaogang Ye.
Additional concerto highlights include performances with the Fort Worth Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, Austin Symphony, Denver Philharmonic, Anchorage Symphony, and the Juilliard Orchestra. Internationally, she has performed with Canada’s Calgary Philharmonic, Germany’s Rostock and Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestras, and in China with the Shenzhen Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and China National Symphony Orchestras.
Fei-Fei was featured prominently as a Cliburn finalist in the documentary film, Virtuosity, about the 2013 Cliburn Competition, which premiered on PBS in August 2015. Deeply committed to sharing her joy for music and connecting with communities, Fei-Fei frequently engages students and community audiences through school and outreach concerts and masterclasses.
Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei began piano lessons at the age of 5. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she studied with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky, and is currently pursing Doctoral of Musical Arts degree with pianist Yefim Bronfman at Manhattan School of Music. Fei-Fei is also a member of the piano faculty at John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and teaching associate to pianist Yefim Bronfman at Manhattan School of Music beginning in Fall 2023.
