Winner, Astral Artists’ 2007 National Auditions
Praised by The Wall Street Journal as “a most mature and sensitive pianist,” Chinese-born Di Wu continues to uphold her reputation as an elegant and exciting musician. In wide demand as both a concert soloist and recitalist, her current American itinerary includes debuts and re-engagements on both coasts and in numerous cities in between. Ms. Wu made her professional debut at the age of 14 with the Beijing Philharmonic, and has gone on to appear as soloist with orchestras across the globe, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Hamburg Philharmoniker, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and numerous others. She made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut under Charles Dutoit in 2009, and recently returned as soloist to Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach in the famed, but rarely performed, Turangalîla-Symphonie of Messaien. Di Wu is a winner of Astral Artists’ 2007 National Auditions.
As a recitalist, The Washington Post has hailed Ms. Wu’s “fire and authority” and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised her “charisma, steely technique and keen musical intelligence.” Following her San Francisco recital debut, the Bay Area’s Peninsula Review critic declared, “I would gladly crawl over broken glass to hear her again.” In New York, she has made recital debuts in Carnegie and Alice Tully halls, and has also appeared in Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, as well as at the Ravinia Festival and the Portland Piano Festival. She also performs frequently in Europe and in major venues throughout Asia. Her most recent appearance in Tokyo, at an arena concert that was recorded and released by Japan’s Epic Records, took place before an audience of over 11,000. She makes her Philadelphia Chamber Music Society debut in the 2011-2012 season.
Ms. Wu is the winner of numerous competition prizes. In 2009 alone, she was awarded a coveted prize at the XIII Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, The Juilliard School’s Petschek Award, and the Vendome Virtuosi prize at Lisbon’s prestigious Vendome Competition. Of her recording of Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Books I and II, Musical America said, “Her account of the Brahms is amazing. She takes all the difficult options (her glissandos are unbelievable!), and she conjures from the piano absolutely gossamer, violinistic textures, joyous humor, and brilliant air-borne tempos.”
Di Wu came to the U.S. in 1999 to study at the Manhattan School of Music with Zenon Fishbein. From the year 2000 through 2005 she studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with Gary Graffman. She also holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School under Yoheved Kaplinsky and an Artist Diploma under the guidance of Joseph Kalichstein and Robert McDonald.
Updated: SEPTEMBER 2011
