FACULTY

Faculty 2027

Dr. Xun Pan · Dr. Ivo Kaltchev · Prof. Kendra Bigley · Dr. Daniel Browell · Dr. Heejin Chang · Prof. Shuhua Chen · Prof. Sharon Christman · Prof. Stephen De Pledge · Dr. Ruiqi Fang · Dr. Alessandra Feris · Dr. Eric Fung · Prof. Matthew Graybil · Dr. Ai-Lin Hsieh · Prof. James Jin · Dr. Julian Langford · Prof. Chongxiao Liu · Prof. Chi-Wei Lo · Prof. Francesco Mirabella · Dr. Yue Sun · Dr. Philip Tacka · Prof. Xinyuan Wang · Dr. Xiaopei Xu · Prof. Xiaoyang Zhao

The highlights of the Chinese-American pianist Xun Pan’s recent chamber music concerts collaborate with the American String Quartet, Hai-Ye Ni, Priscilla Lee, Dara Morales, and the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble. He just finished a 15-city concert tour in 30 days in China in May/June of 2024. As a Steinway Artist, he was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023.

Mr. Pan received his early musical training from hisgrandmother and pianists-parents, Pan Yiming and Ying Shizhen. He continued his studies at theCentral Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Syracuse University in New York, and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey. 

Mr. Pan has won many international piano competitions and awards, beginning with first prize in the 1986 China National Piano Competition in Beijing, and the "Dr. Luis Sigall" International Piano Competition in Chile in 1987, the International Festival Piano Competition in Korea in 1990, the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York in 1992, and the Artists International Competition in New York in 1993.A student of Theodore Lettvin, Mr. Pan has performed solo recitals worldwide from Carnegie Weill Hall to the Beijing National Center for Performing Arts. He has performed in Moscow, Santiago, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Taipei, Budapest, Salzburg, Sicily, New York, Seoul, Pyongyang, Biel, Bern, Brussels, Vina Del Mar, Washington DC, Lisbon, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, San Francisco, and many other cities in the world. He “…excites his audience with extraordinary power and masterful technique.” (The Star-Ledger)

A noted chamber musician, Mr. Pan is the pianist of the Newstead Trio, Trio Clavino, and Gabriel Chamber Ensemble. Their work has been broadcast live on radio and television, and they have released several highly-acclaimed recordings. Trio Clavino toured seven cities in China with Fulbright Grants managed by US Embassy in Beijing in 2014, and again in 2016. Mr. Pan has been served as a judge in many competitions include "Frinna Awerbuch" International Piano Competition in New York, United States Music Open Competition in Oakland, CA, United States International Music competition in Stanford, CA, Pancho Vladigerov International Piano Competition in Shumen, Bulgaria, and Maria Clara Cullell International Piano Competition in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Dr. Pan is the Director of Keyboard Studies of The Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and is a visiting professor at many universities and conservatories in China, includes Central Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music,Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China Northwest University for Nationalities, Fuzhou University, Yantai University, Shandong University, Qinghai Normal University, and Wenzhou University. He also taught master classes at Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, Frost School of Music at University of Miami, University of West Florida, Benjamin T Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, Dartmouth College, Mozarteum University (Austria), Bellini Music Institute (Italy), Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Georgia), and others. He taught and served as the Chairman of the Piano Department at Pennsylvania Academy of Music between 1996 and 2009. 

Dr. Pan is one of the founding members and the Co-Artistic Director of the Lancaster International Piano Festival in Pennsylvania, USA.  

His performed the entire 32 piano sonatas, 10 piano/violin sonatas, 8 piano/cello works, and 13 piano trios of Beethoven when celebrating his 250th anniversary of birth.

Prizewinner of international piano competitions and a Bösendorfer Concert Artist, pianist Ivo Kaltchev has enjoyed a successful performing career as recitalist, soloist with orchestras, chamber musician, and recording artist. “Formidable technique” (Piano Journal, England), “possesses the genius of rubato” (Diapason, France), “distinctive and original” (Soviet Culture, Russia), “impressive” (Frankfurter Neue Presse, Germany), “most beautifully and idiomatically played” (International Record Review, England), “glittering,” “big technique” (Washington Post, U.S.), “a master of the whole range of pianistic attacks and coloristic effects” (The Star Ledger, U.S.)—these are some of the words that music critics have used to describe Dr. Kaltchev’s artistry and piano playing.

Dr. Kaltchev has performed in musical centers throughout the world, including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Changsha Concert Hall, China Conservatory Concert Hall, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s Malii and Rachmaninov Halls, St. Petersburg State Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, Salle Moliere (Lyon, France), Tel Aviv Museum Recanati Auditorium, Mendelssohn Hochschule für Musik Hall (Leipzig, Germany), Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium, and the Bulgaria Great Hall. He has been a guest artist at music festivals in Austria, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Ukraine, Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, Canada and the U.S. Some of the highlights of recent seasons include a solo recital and a concerto performance with the EOS Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, concert tours in Asia, as well as performances of the complete solo piano works of Claude Debussy as well as the complete art songs of Henri Duparc. A respected chamber musician, Dr. Kaltchev has performed with Shanghai String Quartet, Harrington String Quartet, pianists Ilana Vered and Milena Mollova, French actress Marie Christine Barrault as well with members of the New York Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Dr. Kaltchev’s critically acclaimed commercial recordings for the Bulgarian “Gega New” label include an all-Charles Griffes CD (hailed by the French magazine Diapason as “the most accomplished interpretation known until now”), a CD with the world premieres of solo piano works by the French composer Florent Schmitt, as well as a recently released CD with works of Debussy.

Dr. Kaltchev holds degrees and diplomas from Yale University and Rutgers University, Sofia Academy of Music, and the Liszt Hochschule für Musik (Weimar). He is the recipient of the Catholic University of America Awards for Overall Teaching Excellence (2017) and Achievement in the Creative Arts (2019) as well as to other piano pedagogy awards for teaching excellence presented by the Piano Teachers Society of America, the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, the Princeton Steinway Society and other organizations.  He has presented lectures, workshops, and master classes in Europe, China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Virgin Islands, and the U.S.           

Dr. Kaltchev is an active adjudicator and has judged international piano competitions in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. Dr. Kaltchev’s students have won more than 70 prizes at international and national piano competitions and have performed with numerous orchestras including I Solisti di Perugia (Italy) and Orquestra De Camara De Cascais E Oeiras (Portugal).  His students have been accepted for graduate and undergraduate piano studies at Juilliard, Peabody, Eastman, Manhattan, Indiana, San Francisco, Northwestern, Mannes, SUNY Stony Brook, Roosevelt, Miami and other leading universities and schools of music in the U.S.

Currently, Dr. Kaltchev is Professor of Piano and Chair of the Music Department at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  He is the co-director of the Lancaster International Piano Festival (www.lancasterpianofest.com) as well as the Artistic Director of the Bulgarian Music Society Concert Series at the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington, DC (www.bulgarianmusicsociety.org ).  He has taught as a Visiting Piano Professor at the Beijing China Conservatory of Music and the Yale University School of Music.

Kendra Bigley is a versatile collaborative pianist and dedicated pedagogue whose work encompasses vocal and instrumental chamber music, opera, orchestral performance, and piano education. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Temple University and has performed with acclaimed artists including vocalists Amy Owens, Vasil Garvanliev, and Kate Jackman, and instrumentalists Carla Leurs, Doris Hall-Gulati, and Christopher Shih.

A member of the Brasswood Trio, Bigley concertizes extensively throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Her orchestral and operatic engagements include performances with the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Allegro Orchestra, Penn Square Opera, Temple Opera Theater, and Harrisburg Opera Association.

As a festival faculty member, Bigley works with student pianists to develop the collaborative skills essential to chamber music and accompanying.

Bigley is a member of the piano faculty at Franklin & Marshall College.

Daniel Browell enjoys a busy and varied performing career, having given recitals in the UK, Europe, China and North America. His debut recital at London’s Purcell Room in the Southbank Centre and concerto performance at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall received critical acclaim in the national press.

Daniel particularly enjoys collaborative projects with instrumentalists and singers, performing regularly as a core member of the Belfast based Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble. As pianist with the Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble Daniel has broadcast live on Radio 3 and performed all over the world, mostly recently in the showcase event at the Classical:Next festival in Berlin, Beijing contemporary Music festival and at the Royal Festival Hall for New Music Biennial.  Daniel has performed with YCAT winner Kathryn Rudge at the Wigmore Hall and on many occasions since, and he has worked with the BBC Philharmonic, performing in the BBC Philharmonic’s chamber music series in Salford, the Ulster Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. A recording released in 2024 showcases the music of Greg Caffrey, including a new piano concerto that Daniel recorded with the Ulster Orchestra earlier this year.

After studying for his undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham, Daniel went on to study in Paris, London (Royal Academy of Music) and Chicago. Whilst then going on to become a Junior Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music, he won numerous prizes and awards. 

Daniel finds great inspiration through teaching; he has given masterclasses and has taught in China, Europe, the Middle East and America. He is currently Associate Head of Keyboard at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a member of the jury and organising committee of the Dudley International Piano Competition.  

Born in Anyang, Kyonggi-Do, Korean violist Heejin Chang enjoys sharing her love of the classical music and the viola with audiences.

As a soloist, Heejin has performed in Seoul, Korea with the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gu-Ri City Philharmonic Orchestra and KNUA Symphony Orchestra. She has given solo recitals in Kumho Art Hall, Young-San Art Hall and KNUA Hall, the 24th Viola Space in Tokyo and numerous venues in the United States. Based on his unremitting enthusiasm for learning even during the pandemic, she performed all the Ligeti 6 Sonatas for Solo Viola for the first time in Korea.

The winner of the major competition in Korea. Heejin was the gold prize winner at the SunWha music competition at age 11. Continuously, she got first Prize Winner at the Eum-Ak-Chun-Chu (Music Journal) Music Competition, a first prize winner in all ages of the viola part at the Sung-Jung music competition, a second prize winner at the 48th Dong-A music competition. On the international stage, she was selected as a prize winner at the Japan-Osaka international music competition and the 49th William C. Byrd young artist competition for strings.

In addition to solo performances, Heejin actively participated in the orchestra. She has served as a principal violist of the KNUA Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia, NEC Philharmonia, and MSM Philharmonia Orchestra. She also played in the viola section of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Montclair Orchestra as a student fellow.

With enthusiasm for chamber music, Heejin was invited to the Tong-Young International Music Festival, Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music in Korea, the Rittergut Benningsen Festival in Germany, and the Canton Asian Music Festival in China. For 60 years of partnership and shared prosperity concert between the Republic of Korea and the United States, she performed at Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Lincoln Center in New York, Ford Theatre in Los Angeles. She appeared on the Jordan Hall in Boston for the chamber music gala concert, the masterclass of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Weill recital Hall in Carnegie Hall.

Also, a sought-after chamber musician, Heejin founded the Ciel Ensemble in 2020. Ciel Ensemble has been featured Seoul Arts Center Summer Music Festival, Lotte Concert Hall’s Music Keeps Going Series, and Guro Classic Festa. They have been selected to be sponsored by the Korean Artsylvia Foundation, Seoul Classical Music Society, and Seoul Arts Center Summer Music Festival. The Ciel Ensemble also appeared on several national broadcasts such as Seocho Cable TV Broadcasting, and Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation. The ensemble also won second prize in the 10th Lancaster International Chamber Music Competition, third prize in Petrichor International Music Competition, and first prize in London International Music Competition.

Festival highlights include appearances at the NAC Young Artists Program (Director; Pinchas Zuckerman), Banff Master Class and Orchestra Program in Canada, Summit Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival in the United States and the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove in England. Especially, she taught chamber music at Manhattan in the Mountain Music Festival as an assistant faculty. WIOX Radio in the Catskill broadcasted the faculty concert on live.

Previously, Heejin attended the Seoul Arts High School and is the recipient of a bachelor’s degree from the Korea National University of Arts where she was an honor student of a young-talented artist and graduated in 3 years, studying with Soonhwa Oh. In the United States, she achieved her Master of Music degree at Yale University School of Music studying with Ettore Causa. After that, she studied with Dimitri Murrath at New England Conservatory of Music for Graduate Diploma and Music in Education Concentration. In 2022, she purchased a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Manhattan School of Music studying with Samuel Rhodes. Currently, she is giving a lecture at the Korean National University of Arts.

Prof. Shuhua Chen is the Chair of the Piano Department at Xinghai Conservatory of Music. He is also an adjunct doctoral supervisor at the Macau University of Science and Technology. He is a council member of the Piano Society of the Chinese Musicians' Association, an editorial board member and expert committee member of Piano Art published by People's Music Publishing House, and a committee member of the Piano Art Development Center of the Global Music Education League.

He graduated from the Piano Department of the Central Conservatory of Music in 1996 and remained at the institution as a faculty member upon graduation. At the end of 1999, he went to Germany for further studies, graduating from the National University of Music Freiburg in 2003. He subsequently pursued advanced studies in musicology at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Freiburg, while simultaneously serving as an assistant to Prof. A. Immer, the Vice Dean of the Freiburg University of Music. In 2006, he returned to China as a talent recruit and took up a teaching position at Xiamen University, where he successively served as Deputy Director of the Music Department and Associate Dean of the College of Arts.

Mr. Chen has performed concerts in numerous venues both domestically and internationally and has been invited to perform at various music festivals around the world. He has given performances and lectures in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Malta, and others.

He has published over a dozen academic papers in core and authoritative journals such as Music Research, Journal of Xiamen University, People's Music, and Piano Art. He has been invited to serve as a judge for numerous prestigious domestic and international piano competitions, and many of his students have won awards in piano competitions both in China and abroad.

He has also been honored with titles such as the Fujian Provincial May Fourth Medal, New Century Outstanding Talent, Xiamen Outstanding Educator, one of Xiamen University's Top Ten Most Popular Teachers, and the "Good Teacher Around Me" award. Additionally, he has served as a member of the Professional Competence Evaluation System Committee for Cultural Industries under the Talent Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and as the lead coordinator of the National First-Class Undergraduate Program in "Music Performance" at Xiamen University.

Sharon Christman, soprano, has soloed and debuted in almost every Lincoln Center venue. She made her Alice Tully Hall debut singing Pergolesi’s Orpheus Cantata with the New York Chamber Orchestra. With members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra she performed in Merkin Hall. Following that she was engaged with New York City Opera and then Opera Orchestra of New York under the direction of Maestra Eve Queler. Ms. Christman and Maestra Queler collaborated at least three more times – finally with Carlo Bergonzi during one of his farewell concerts in Carnegie Hall. Ms. Christman made her Metropolitan Opera debut singing the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte – a role she has performed with more than twenty opera companies and symphonies across the United States, Canada and South America. She may be seen on video with the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s production of that role with L’Opera de Montreal, a Maurice Sendak production.

Peter Davis of New York Magazine has called Ms. Christman’s singing “dazzling.” Daniel Webster of The Philadelphia Enquirer called her “a polished stylist with a gleaming voice.” Martin Mayer of Opera Magazine referred to Ms. Christman as, “the mistress of a fioratura the others did not attempt.” Ms. Christman is the recipient of numerous awards, including the International Liederkranz Vocal Competition, which sponsored her in performance at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the New York Oratorio Competition, second place, the New Jersey State Opera competition, the coveted Puccini Foundation Award, and the Baltimore Opera Competition. She also received a Sullivan Grant for Study. Ms. Christman has sung leading roles too numerous to mention, with opera companies including Dallas Opera, Michigan Opera, Dayton Opera, Teatro Municipal (Santiago, Chile), New Jersey State Opera, New York City Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Mississippi Opera, Opera Camerata of Washington, Toledo Opera (a performance with Renee Fleming), Opera Pacific, Pittsburgh Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Connecticut Opera, L’Opera de Montreal, The Summer Opera Theater and Florentine Opera. She has soloed with major symphony orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Duluth-Superior Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Opera Orchestra of New York, Miami Symphony, Erie Symphony, Bridgeport Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Charlottesville and University Symphony, Alexandria Symphony and Arlington Symphony.

Ms. Christman has soloed under the baton of such conductors as Julius Rudel, Eduardo Muller, Alfredo Silipigni, Wolfgang Rennert, Hans Allers, Steven Larsen, Richard Lert, Yakov Kreizburg, Gustave Meier and Murry Sidlin.  She has performed with many leading artists such as Jerome Hines, Pablo Elvira, Jerry Hadley, Renée Fleming and Carlo Bergonzi.

Ms. Christman has been a guest soloist at The White House and a recitalist in numerous Artist Series including the National Gallery of Art.  She was privileged to present the Washington premiere of John Corigliano’s new song cycle, The Tambourine Man, at the request of the composer, first with National Musical Arts and then for the Cosmos Club Artist Series. Finally, she performed it with the Alexandria Symphony under the direction of Maestro Kim Allen Kluge, by special commission of the orchestra.

Ms. Christman has been a soloist many times at the Kennedy Center with such performing organizations as The Washington Chorus, Alexandria Symphony and The Washington Chamber Orchestra and most recently with The Departments of Music’s 50th anniversary celebration.  She has soloed with the New Dominion Chorale, Georgetown Chorale, Arlington Symphony and Fairfax Symphony.  With The Catholic University Symphony Orchestra she has performed Defiant Requiem, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Carmina Burana and War Requiem by Benjamin Britten. Ms Christman is privileged to have sung the soprano solos in the Defiant Requiem numerous times - in Prague, Czech Republic, for the Prague Spring Festival and at the Kennedy Center, again in Terezin with the Berkshire Choral Festival and Buffalo, NY among them. Of the performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the reviewer wrote, “Miss Christman’s high notes seemed to fall from the heavens, they were that pure and glistening...”  With the New Dominion Chorale, Ms. Christman recently sang the Requiem by Verdi in the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center. Mark J. Estren of The Washington Post wrote of Ms. Christman in his review:  “…her lovely voice penetrated the massed forces, providing ethereal beauty…and emotional intensity…” Recent recordings include a sacred recital with Irish tenor, Mark Forrest for Karian Records.

Ms. Christman has taught and aided in the development of the careers of a number of emerging talents, including Patrick Carfizzi (Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera), Fabiana Bravo (New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera), Maureen Francis (Los Angeles Opera, Lincoln Center Festival), Brian Cali (Los Angeles Opera Young Artist Program with Placido Domingo), Disella Larusdottir (Metropolitan Opera).  Her students sing professionally in regional opera companies and in musical theater across the country, such as Charlie Hagerty (Les Miserables at The Kennedy Center) and John Boag (The Producers at the St. James Theatre). She also coached Linda Ronstadt during her run in The Pirates of Penzance at the New York Shakespeare Festival.  Ms. Christman has been an invited presenter for the Voice Foundation’s National Voice Symposium in Philadelphia for the maximum two consecutive years.  Ms. Christman has been an adjudicator for prestigious competitions, including the National Society of Arts and Letters Vocal Competition and the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Competition.  Ms. Christman joined the faculty of the Washington National Opera’s Young Artist Program for which she presented several summer Master Classes. She also has been the chair of the vocal division of Music Fest Perugia in Tuscany, Italy, performing in Spoleto, Italy as well. Ms. Christman has soloed in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Cascades Festival of Music with Maestro Murry Sidlin. In 2009 Ms. Christman received the “Overall Excellence in Teaching” award for all Catholic University. She has been a member of  Marquis’ and the Commonwealth’s “Who’s Who in America.”  Ms. Christman is Professor of Music and heads the Vocal Division and Opera of the Departments of Music at The Catholic University of America.  Most recently, Ms. Christman performed and gave master classes in Xi’an, China with Dr. Ivo Kaltchev.

New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge is one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of his generation. He studied at the University of Auckland, and then with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His career was launched after winning the Gold Medal from the Guildhall, and the NFMS Young Concert Artists’ Award, and he has since maintained a diverse and wide-ranging performing schedule, as soloist, chamber musician and song accompanist.

Stephen’s solo performances have taken him throughout the UK, including five solo recitals in the Wigmore Hall in London, where he made his acclaimed debut in 1999. He has also given solo performances in Hong Kong, Italy, France, Singapore, Japan, Australia and the USA. Concerto appearances include the Philharmonia (London) and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras, and performances in the Barbican and Fairfield Halls. He has recorded solo works of Bliss, Messiaen and Arvo Pärt, for whom he made the world premiere recording of the piano sonatinas. He also made the premiere recording of the 4 Piano Preludes of Gorecki.

As a chamber musician, Stephen has collaborated with groups such as Chamber Domaine, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, the English Chamber Orchestra Ensemble and the Scottish Ensemble. Recent chamber music performances have been in New York, Dresden, Bogotà, Shanghai, Paris and Beijing, and he has performed at many International Festivals in the UK and abroad.

Stephen’s repertoire is far-reaching, from the music of the 17th to the 21st centuries. He has always been an advocate for contemporary music, and has given the world premiere performances of many works. In 2001 he performed the complete chamber works of Arvo Pärt during the Edinburgh Festival, under the guidance of the composer, and he has become particularly associated with the music of Messiaen, which he studied in Paris with the composer’s widow, Yvonne Loriod. In 2008 he gave the first performance of the Landscape Preludes, twelve new works by New Zealand composers, at the International Festival in Wellington.

In addition to his solo recordings, Stephen’s recordings for Sanctuary Classics, ASV, Quartz and Landor labels include song cycles by Ned Rorem and Samuel Barber, and chamber music of Messiaen, Shostakovich, Schnittke and Pärt. He has broadcast for Radio 3 and Classic FM in the UK, and also on radio in USA, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden, and for BBC Television.

“Decidedly personal” “Intelligent playing” and “Versatile.” These are just a few examples of how critics have glowingly described pianist Ruiqi Fang’s solo recital at the Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís in Havana, Cuba. The recital “will be long remembered; a woman with unquestionable sensitivity, whom has performed works of Baroque and Impressionism with absolute thoroughness.” (CMBF National Radio Music, June 2015). Ms. Fang has also been interviewed by CBS Sunday News, Music Weekly, Chinese Business News, Yangcheng Evening News, and Sanqin Daily.

Ruiqi Fang has performed as a recitalist and chamber music player in major concert venues around the world, such as Beijing Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Zhongshan Park Music Hall (Beijing, China), National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing, China), Beijing National Library Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Xi’an Concert Hall (Xi’an, China), Taipei National Concert Hall (Taipei), Palau de la Música (Valencia, Spain), Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York, USA), Merkin Concert Hall (New York, USA) and Staller Center for the Arts (Long Island, USA). Ms. Fang has frequently appeared as a soloist with professional orchestras, including the Cuba National Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Sinfonia, and Manhattan School of Music Brass Orchestra. In 2015, she performed the Bartok Piano Concerto No.1 with the Cuba National Symphony under the baton of Enrique Pērez Mesa, and it was the premiere of this concerto in Cuba.

As the first prize winner of the Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition, Ruiqi Fang is also the top prize winner in other numerous piano competitions, including the Zhujiang Youth Piano Competition, the First Kawai Piano Competition , the Second Steinway Piano Competition, Xi'an Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, Taipei Chopin International Piano Competition, Artur Balsam Competition for Duos, and Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition.

Also active as a collaborative pianist, Ruiqi Fang has worked with numerous leading musicians, including flutist Sir James Galway, flutist Sandrine Tilly, violinist Didier Lockwood and violinist Asi Matathias. Additionally, she has collaborated with the musicians at the United States Navy Band 42nd International Saxophone Symposium, CCTV Vocal Competition in China, Young Concert Artists Auditions, New York Concert Artists Auditions, Concert Artists Guild Auditions, Astral Artists Auditions, Astral Artists Auditions, Sphinx Competition, New York International Music Competition and the New York Solo Competition.

Ruiqi Fang holds the coveted Doctor of Musical Arts degree, Master of Music degree and Professional Studies Diploma from Manhattan School of Music, under the tutelage of the world-renowned pedagogue Dr. Solomon Mikowsky. She also received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Other musical influences include Christoph Eschenbach, Manaheim Pressler, Stephen Hough, Lucie Robert, and Sylvia Rosenberg. Ruiqi Fang is currently on the faculty of Xi’an Conservatory of Music and is a visiting lecturer at the Central Conservatory of Music Distance Learning Program.

Praised for her artistry and passion, Brazilian pianist Alessandra Feris has established a distinguished career as a performer, pedagogue, and advocate for Latin-American piano music. She has performed widely across South America, Central America, Mexico, Europe, and the United States, with successful solo debuts in major venues including the Theatro São Pedro in Porto Alegre (Brazil), the Costa Rican National Theater, the Steinway Haus in Frankfurt (Germany), the Palácio de Bellas Artes (Sala Manuel M. Ponce) in Mexico City, and the Auditório León de Greiff in Bogotá, Colombia.

Alessandra Feris holds a bachelor’s degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, an Artist Diploma from the University of Music Franz Liszt in Germany, a master’s degree from the University of Iowa, and a doctoral degree from Florida State University. Her major teachers include Dirce Knijnik, Thomas Steinhöfel, Réne Lecuona, Read Gainsford, and the legendary Lazar Berman.

Committed to excellence in teaching, Dr. Feris has received the John Simms Piano Award at the University of Iowa, the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award at Florida State University, and the Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year Award. A sought-after pedagogue, she has been a guest adjudicator for various national and international competitions, including the Lancaster International Piano Competition, the Hyatt Piano Competition, the Pianissimo Piano Competition in Colombia, and the Piano Latinoamericano Competition in Costa Rica. Her students have frequently won piano competitions such as the South Dakota MTNA Young Artist, SDMTA Collegiate Piano, Truran Piano Competition, and the University of South Dakota Concerto Competition.

Her guest-artist engagements include masterclasses and performances at universities and conservatories worldwide, including the Colburn School, Bowling Green State University, Purdue University, University of Nevada-Reno, Radford University, Texas Woman’s University, Goshen College, Irvine Valley College, University of Arizona, Washington State University, University of Kansas, University of Central Florida, Louisiana State University, Montclair State University, North Dakota State University, Auburn University, University of Southern Mississippi, Kansas State University, Huntingdon College, University of North Dakota, Chadron State College, University of South Alabama, University of Montevallo, Southern University, Wayne State University, University of Costa Rica, University of Aveiro in Portugal, University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, Ionian University in Greece, Royal Birmingham Conservatory in England, National University of Music in Peru and several universities in Colombia and Brazil.

Alessandra Feris is devoted to the diffusion of Latin-American piano music and has been a guest performer at the Trester Festival for Latin-American Music at the University of Arizona, the LatinAmerican Piano Festival at Texas A&M University in Commerce, the Ibero-American Festival Cinco Sentidos in Jena, Germany, and the Brasilien trifft Berlin Festival. She is a passionate contemporary pianist and is often invited to premiere works by living composers. Recent premieres include Love Letters by Steven Sacco, Wissenschaftsgläubigkeit by Paul Lombardi, and Mni Wiconi by Jeffrey Paul.

Dr. Feris has recently joined the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as Assistant Professor of Piano. She has previously served as Associate Professor of Piano at the University of South Dakota and Piano Faculty/Artist-in-Residence at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She is an artist-teacher at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy and the Lancaster International Piano Festival in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Eric Fung is a distinguished Chinese-American pianist renowned for his “vibrant vitality, unflappable logic, flexibility in nuances, and requisite lyricism,” as lauded by the New York Concert Review. In 2002, he was awarded the prestigious title of “Bach Prize Winner” at the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, in recognition of his profound interpretation of the composer’s works. His doctoral dissertation, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Overture in the French Manner, BWV 831: A Study in Motive, Harmony, and Rhythm, further exemplifies his dedication to deriving musical interpretation through rigorous research and analysis.

Born in Hong Kong, Dr. Fung began his formal music training at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the tutelage of Eva Lue. He earned the Piano Performance Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK) before pursuing further studies in the United States. He holds degrees in piano performance from the Eastman School of Music (BM, Performer’s Certificate, and MM) and the Juilliard School (DMA), two of the world's leading conservatories. His principal teachers include Natalya Antonova, Martin Canin (student of Rosina Lhévinne), and Oxana Yablonskaya (student of Tatiana Nikolayeva), linking him to the Russian piano tradition. He has also received coaching from esteemed pedagogues such as Boris Berman, Christopher Elton, Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, and Robert Levin in masterclasses.

During his formative years, Dr. Fung developed a deep interest in music theory and analysis. At Eastman, he studied under Matthew Brown and Steven Laitz, earning a master’s degree in music theory pedagogy. His research at Juilliard was supervised by Carl Schachter, a preeminent authority of Schenkerian analysis.

As a performer, Dr. Fung has received accolades from eminent music critics. Following his performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Juilliard Orchestra at Lincoln Center under Maestro Otto Werner Mueller, Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times praised his playing as “refined and elegant.” Harris Goldsmith of the New York Concert Review, after his Carnegie Hall performance, described him as “a pianist with a musical persona akin to Rudolf Serkin.”  The Hong Kong Economic Review noted his unique aesthetic, tracing it back to his study and passion for Bach’s works.

Dr. Fung has collaborated with numerous orchestras around the world, including the Juilliard Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Middle Germany Chamber Orchestra, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Hershey Symphony Orchestra, Lebanon Valley College Orchestra, Central Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Orchestra. He has also been a featured artist at international music festivals such as the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, European Piano Forum in Berlin, Puigcerda Music Festival in Spain, Philadelphia Bach Festival, Kamerman Piano Series in Pensacola, Lancaster International Piano Festival, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

In 2022, Dr. Fung broadened his performance horizon by joining the cast of Nadia, a play with chamber music about the legendary French music pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, written by Mina Fisher. He has since become a regular cast member, collaborating with mezzo-sopranos Maria Jette and Adriana Zabala, and violinists Stephanie Arado and Stéphanie Moraly in performances on stages in US and France.

Dr. Fung is currently the Carmean Endowed Professor of Music (Piano Performance) at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. As an educator, he has conducted masterclasses and lectures at numerous institutions and professional organizations, including the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel, Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China, Xinghai Conservatory of Music in China, National Tainan University in Taiwan, National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, Soochow University in Taiwan, East Tennessee State University, Hope College in Michigan, University of Illinois at Carbondale, Hong Kong Baptist University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Tom Lee Music Foundation, and numerous music teacher associations. He frequently adjudicates competitions, including the Lancaster Symphony Concerto Competition, Greater Princeton Steinway Society Scholarship Competition, New Jersey Music Teachers Association Piano Competition, and MTNA Competition.

Dr. Eric Fung is a Steinway Artist.

Praised by The New Yorker as an “exceptional young artist” and by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as a “major talent,” American pianist Matthew Graybil has performed as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico. He made his orchestral debut at age 14 and has subsequently performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the National Chamber Players among many others.

Highlights of Graybil’s solo career include recitals in many of the world’s music capitals, including New York, Paris, Chicago, Baltimore, Mexico City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington DC in venues such as Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, Subculture, Le Poisson Rouge, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center. In addition, Graybil is an avid chamber musician, with over 300 performances to his credit. He has collaborated with such artists as Itzhak Perlman.

As an exponent of music from the 20th and 21st century, he recently gave the New York premiere of Walter Piston’s Concerto for Two Pianos Soli. He has appeared on radio and television, including Vermont Public Radio, Connecticut Public Radio, WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show, WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase and Reflections from the Keyboard, WWFM’s The Piano Matters hosted by David Dubal, CBS Chicago and PBS, where he was featured in the documentary Beyond the Practice Room.

He has been a prize-winner in national and international competitions including the New York Piano Competition, the MTNA/Yamaha National Piano Competition, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts competition, the Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, the Nina Wideman International Piano Competition and the Missouri Southern International Piano. Mr. Graybil has been invited to festivals including Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Ravinia Steans Institute, the Perlman Music Program, the Sarasota Music Festival and the American Academy in Fontainebleau, France.

Matthew’s debut album was released in 2012 as part of the Victor Elmaleh Collection. In a review of the album, Fanfare Magazine wrote that “he becomes so at one with the [music] that the line between composer and performer vanishes. Matthew Graybil’s playing marks him … as one of the most sensitive, poetic young pianists to debut on record in recent memory.” A record of Chopin’s Complete Etudes, Op. 10 was released by the Chopin Project in 2016 and his recording, with Larry Weng, of Walter Piston’s Concerto for two pianos soli was released in February 2018 for Steinway & Sons records. He returned to Steinway’s recording studio in August, 2018 to record selections from his Debussy centennial celebration program entitled “Debussy: His friends and his enemies” which is now available on Steinway Spirio pianos worldwide. In March 2020, he released his most recent album with violinist Niv Ashkenazi, entitled “Violins of Hope” for Albany Records. His most recent album with violinist Keiko Tagunaku entitled Devilish, will be released in late 2024.

Graybil began his piano studies at age 6 and was a pupil of Vincent Craig and Harvey Wedeen before he enrolled in the Juilliard School, where he received his Bachelor and Master's degrees under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio.

Matthew Graybil resides in New York City

Dr. Ai-Lin Hsieh is a versatile cellist, praised by The Washington Post for her “burnished tone”. Equally distinguished as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player, her repertoire ranges from traditional masterworks to avant-garde compositions.

Among the highlights of her career is a performance in 1997 as part of a cello octet under the direction of the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. In 2019, she toured China as a member of the Pennsylvania Chamber Ensemble (now the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble). She currently serves as Assistant Principal Cellist of the York Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania, having previously performed with a number of ensembles across Asia and the United States, with appearances in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Taipei and Tokyo.

In addition to her performing career, Dr. Hsieh is dedicated to teaching and mentoring the next generation of cellists. She has held teaching positions with the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program, Montgomery College, and Lebanon Valley College, and has coached chamber music at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music. More recently, she has served on the faculties of the Lancaster International Piano and Chamber Music Festival and the Orchestra Camp at Messiah University. She also collaborates with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra’s outreach initiatives and the Market Square Soundscape Education Outreach Program, leading cello clinics in local schools. Currently, she is serving as adjunct cello instructor at Millersville University and Messiah University, and maintains a thriving private studio in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hsieh received her Master of Music in Cello Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her principal teachers include Steven Doane, Evelyn Elsing and Kenneth Slowik. She also studied chamber music with members of the Guarneri and Ying Quartets.

Xin (James) Jin is a New Zealand violinist, conductor, educator, and artistic director  whose career spans international performance, orchestral leadership, music education, and artistic collaboration. He is currently Professional Teaching Fellow (Violin Performance) at the University of Auckland School of Music, Guest Concertmaster of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Director of the Auckland Academy of Music, Director of the New Zealand Philharmonic Orchestra, Director of Asia Pacific Performing Arts, Music Director of St Cuthbert’s College Black Watch Orchestra and Sebastian Squad Orchestra, Music Director of the Auckland Chinese Philharmonic Choir, and Artistic Director of the New Zealand International Young Musicians’ Festival.

Born in China, James moved to New Zealand with his family in 2001, where he began his musical development as a violinist. Early career highlights included performances of Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra and the Manawatu Sinfonia Orchestra, as well as concert works with the Michael Monaghan Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. In 2006, he was the youngest competitor in the inaugural China International Violin Competition and the only representative from Australasia. The following year, he was appointed Principal Second Violin of the Wellington Vector Orchestra before receiving a full scholarship to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the renowned violinist and pedagogue Professor Ian Swensen.

During his studies in the United States, James won top prizes in several prestigious competitions, including the Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition and the Y.E.S. Foundation Young Arts Competition. He also performed and studied at internationally renowned festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, and the Siena International Music Festival, working alongside many of the world’s leading conductors, chamber musicians, and orchestral artists.

After returning to New Zealand in 2015, James won both the New Zealand School of Music Concerto Competition and the Waikanae Music Society Scholarship. He subsequently joined the Auckland Philharmonia as Associate Principal Second Violin, where he also curated the orchestra’s Up Close Chamber Concert Series. Following eight years with the orchestra, he joined the faculty of the University of Auckland School of Music, where he continues to teach violin performance while maintaining an active international career as a soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster, conductor, and educator.

As a violinist, James performs regularly throughout New Zealand, Australia, China, and the United States as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and guest concertmaster. His extensive orchestral experience, combined with his chamber music background, has shaped a collaborative and expressive musical approach that naturally extends to his work on the podium.

Alongside his performing career, James has established himself as one of New Zealand’s emerging conductors and artistic leaders. He is recognised for his commitment to developing young musicians through inspiring orchestral and choral performances and innovative educational initiatives. Since 2020, he has served as Festival Director of the New Zealand International Young Musicians’ Festival, bringing together outstanding students and distinguished artists from New Zealand and overseas through orchestral projects, chamber music, masterclasses, and public performances. He has conducted ensembles including the Auckland Youth Orchestra, Orchestra Auckland, St Cuthbert’s College Black Watch Orchestra, the St Cuthbert’s College Sebastian Squad String Orchestra, and numerous festival orchestras and chamber ensembles. In 2025, he led the Auckland Chinese Philharmonic Choir at the World Choir Games, further strengthening the choir’s international profile through performances on one of the world’s largest choral stages.

A passionate advocate for music education and international collaboration, James is dedicated to creating opportunities for young musicians to learn, perform, and build lasting artistic relationships across cultures. Together with his wife, pianist Xing Wang, he serves as Co-Director of the New Zealand International Young Musicians’ Festival. Through their educational initiatives, they have led students to participate in major festivals, competitions, and exchange programmes around the world, including the Lancaster International Piano and Chamber Music Festival, the Eurochestries Festival, the Michael Hill International Violin Competition Fellowship Programme, the Bacui Bay Area Chamber Music Festival in Guangzhou, and the Auckland–Zhuhai Exchange Concert Programme at Huafa Mozart Hall. Combining the perspectives of performer, conductor, educator, and artistic director, James continues to foster excellence in music-making while building meaningful cultural connections between New Zealand and the international community.

Julian Langford is a cellist who brings intense passion to every performance he gives, whether it involves solo repertoire, chamber music or being the principal cellist of an orchestra.

Julian has prolific performing experience, playing in major concert halls such as Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher/David Geffen Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center, the Tenri Cultural Institute, Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, among others.

Julian has performed concertos with many orchestras, including the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Bergen Philharmonic and the first Shostakovich Cello Concerto with the Chappaqua Orchestra. In 2008, Julian performed the Schubert Two Cello Quintet with world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, and was invited to be a guest artist with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center at Damrosch Park. In 2018, Julian went on tour in China, where he performed and taught master classes in multiple venues in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Beijing. In 2019, Julian went on tour in Korea, where he performed as part of the New York Classical Players Korea tour and played in major venues such as the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, the Samcheok Cultural Arts Center, and the Daegu Concert House.

Chamber music has been a staple in Julian’s performing career. He performed the Weber Clarinet Quintet with internationally acclaimed clarinetist Charles Neidich at the Tenri Cultural Institute and also performed with the esteemed Emerson String Quartet at the Staller Center Recital Hall. Julian has founded professional chamber music groups as well. He was a founding member of the New York Trio, a piano trio mentored by Grammy Award-winning composer Robert Aldridge and performed in Washington D.C., Connecticut, and upstate New York. The New York Trio also collaborated with Broadway singer Frank D’Ambrosio in their performances. Additionally, Julian was a founding member and cellist of the Anello String Quartet, who was mentored by the Emerson String Quartet and the Juilliard String Quartet in New York. The Anello Quartet performed in the “Alarm Might Sound” concert series in Olivebridge, NY and was invited to give a concert at the Canadian Consulate in New York.

As an orchestral musician, Julian has performed as principal cellist in the True North Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, the New York Classical Players, the Chappaqua Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Tanglewood Young Artist’s Orchestra. He was also selected as principal cellist for the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra in its first ever Orpheus-style orchestra cycle without a conductor.

Julian was awarded first place in the Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow Competition and performed in the Kimmel Center as part of his award. He was the grand prizewinner of the Chappaqua Orchestra Concerto Competition. Julian was also a prizewinner in several other competitions, including the Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Young Artists Competition.

As a student at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division, Julian studied with renowned cellist David Soyer from the legendary Guarneri String Quartet, in which much of his early influence and artistic approaches originate. Julian received his Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School studying with Richard Aaron. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Colin Carr. From 2022-2026, Julian was a member of the cello faculty at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music in China. He is currently a member of the cello faculty at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Chongxiao Liu is a Yamaha Artist, an avid recitalist, he has concertized throughout Asia, Europe and America, including the United States, Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Bulgaria, South Korea and other countries, as well as venues in Beijing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Qingdao, Changsha and other places in China.

In addition, he has appeared as a soloist with China Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Film Orchestra and Qingdao Opera and Dance Theatre Symphony Orchestra. His recordings such as Schubert “Wanderer Fantasy in C Major” D.760 for Hong Kong Radio 4 and released album with works by Liszt and Brahms have been met with critical praise.

Mr. Liu was invited as a guest to give masterclasses and lectures worldwide, including Washington International Piano Festival and Lancaster International Piano Festival in America, TASTEN Piano Festival and Dreieich Music Festival in Germany, Concerti di Primavera, Autunno Musicale, Concerti del Filologico, and Concerti nel Cortile di San Francesco in Italy, Liangzhu Piano Festival in Hangzhou, China etc. He also appeared at numerous competitions as a piano judge.

He is an Associate Professor of Piano Department at Wuhan Conservatory. Mr. Liu received his BM and MM degrees in China Conservatory of Music and graduated with honors. And then he continued his artistic training in Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Prof. Pavel Nersessian as a visiting scholar.

Chi-Wei Lo is a pianist, improviser, and arranger whose performances draw from a wide range of musical languages. As co-founder of the Psychopomp Ensemble, Lo has continually pushed boundaries, blending interdisciplinary art forms with both traditional and avant-garde musical elements to create compelling concert experiences.

With a career spanning diverse platforms, Lo has been presented by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the North American Medical Orchestra, the Lancaster Piano Festival, the College Music Society, UCLA, Lilypad, Chamber Music Charlestown, the Harvard Musical Association, the Chinese American Museum (LA), the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, the Caroga Arts Collective, the New Asia Chamber Music Society, the German Society of Pennsylvania, and the Counterpoint Ensemble (Taiwan), among many others.

Lo’s dedication to his craft is evident in his diverse projects and achievements. In 2018, he was commissioned by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC) for its 10th anniversary, resulting in the creation of his album Piano Improvisations and a limited-edition metro card issued in Taiwan. His solo tours, The Dance of the Seven Deadly Sins, Declaration of Aesthetics, and Twelve Over Twelve, not only showcased his creative range but also included benefit concerts, reflecting his belief that musicians should contribute to their communities. Lo’s artistic vision has garnered international media attention, with features in The Guardian Nigeria News, International Business Times UK, and Digital Journal for his championing of contemporary music and commitment to cross-cultural programming.

In addition to his musical output, Lo is a writer, contributing reviews and interviews to the Boston Musical Intelligencer, where his insights and musical knowledge further enrich the music community. He has also served as a judge for the Lancaster International Piano Festival Competition and the A. Ramón Rivera Piano Competition.

Lo holds both a Bachelor (B.M.) and Master of Music (M.M.) in piano performance from The Juilliard School. He currently shapes the next generation of musicians as an Assistant Professor of Harmony and Composition at Berklee College of Music and serves on the faculty of both the Theory Department and the Contemporary Musical Arts Department (formerly Contemporary Improvisation) within New England Conservatory’s Expand Education division.

Italian pianist Francesco Mirabella began studying piano under the guidance of Maestro Giuseppe Cultrera; later, he graduated with the highest honors from the Musical Institute “V. Bellini” in Catania, Sicily, under the guidance of Giovanni Cultrera. 

He furthered his studies with Maestro Epifanio Comis, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Michele Marvulli, Stefano Fiuzzi, Bernard Ringeissen and Zenon Fishbein. He graduated from the prestigious National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome under the leadership of Sergio Perticaroli and won several national and European piano competitions. 

He often performs as a soloist and in chamber music in important Italian and foreign venues, such as: Theatre of Marcellus and Auditorium Parco della Musica - Petrassi Hall, Rome; Alte Oper and Bechstein Piano Center, Frankfurt; Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory Tchaikovsky, Arkhangelskoe Palace and Central house of Art Workers, Moscow; Conservatory of Ulyanovsk and Great Hall of the Lenin Memorial, Ulyanovsk (Russia); The ware Center (Lancaster, Pennsylvania); New York Italian Institute of Culture; Hall of the Beijing Conservatory, Main Hall of Wuhan Conservatory, Main Hall of Sichuan Conservatory – China; “Lyceum Club” of Catania, Catania Diocesan Museum, Teatro Garibaldi Modica, St. James Festival Bologna; Pushkin Theatre (Lugansk - Ukraine); Ward Recital Hall – Catholic University of Washington D.C; Swope Hall, Phillips Autograph Library (West Chester, Philadelphia); Auditorium Philharmonic Orchestra Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine); Sala Mare - Auditorium Symphony Orchestra Sergei Lunchevici in Chisinau (Moldova), Teatro SS Prokofiev (Donetsk - Ukraine); Theatre Tom Jobim Brazilian embassy in Asuncion (Paraguay), National Theatre, opera and ballet Oleg Danovski Constance (Romania), Acropolium of Carthage (Tunisia), Dvorak Museum in Prague.

Mr. Mirabella has performed many times as soloist with the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Lugansk, Dnepropetrovsk State Philharmonic, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Moldavian State “Sergei Lunchevici”, the Philharmonic Orchestra “S. Prokofiev” of Donetsk, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Lugansk, Ukraine Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Oleg Danovski Theater in Constance and the orchestra of West Chester University. Particularly appreciated is his interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto #3, under the guidance of Epifanio Comis at the Pushkin Theatre in Lugansk, broadcasted live by Ukraine national television, which received high ratings.

Francesco Mirabella has held high-level master classes in China (Beijing Conservatory, Wuhan Conservatory and Chengdu Conservatory), Paraguay (Asunción) and has participated several times as a faculty member of the Washington International Piano Festival (Organized by The Catholic University of America) and Lancaster International Piano Festival (Millersville University), Pennsylvania.

Frequently invited to be a juror in national and international piano competitions (such as Rachmaninoff Competition at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow - US Open Music Competition in San Francisco - LIPF Romantic Piano Competition in Lancaster – Pennsylvania - International Musikwettbewerb fur die Jugend a Oldenburg. Germany - WIPF International Piano Competition in Washington D.C. etc. - Premio Giangrandi-Eggmann - Qindao International Piano Art Festival), he received the “Diploma of Honor” by the prestigious Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation in Moscow.

Mr. Mirabella is the artistic director of -Amici della Musica “Peppino Cultrera”- in Sicily, and piano professor at the “A. Corelli” Conservatory, in Messina, Italy.

Chinese violinist Yue Sun is an internationally acclaimed performer, educator, and artistic leader whose dynamic musicianship has captivated audiences across North America, Europe, and Asia. Praised by critics for her passionate artistry and magnetic stage presence, she has been described as playing “fabulously and splendidly” (Jiangnan City Daily) and possessing the ability to “fuse passionate performance with unparalleled musical charm” (Nanchang Daily). Modern Women in China named her “the most shining rising star,” while SinoVision’s New York Lounge praised her “stringent artistic attitude and creative technical innovation.”

A sought-after soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader, Ms. Sun has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Konzerthaus Berlin, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, and Shanghai Concert Hall. An active chamber musician, Ms. Sun has collaborated with renowned artists including Colin Carr, Philip Setzer, Zuill Bailey, Paul Watkins, Jennifer Frautschi, and Steve Mackey, among others. She is a member of Alaska Trio, Cynosure Piano Trio and the DEKA String Quartet, which has been mentored by the Emerson String Quartet and David Finckel. In 2019, DEKA has served as Artists-in-Residence at the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government. She has also served as concertmaster and associate concertmaster with distinguished orchestras such as the Latin GRAMMY® Award–winning Orchestra of the Americas, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra, and the Boulder Symphony. Renowned conductor Christoph Eschenbach has described her as “a rare talent of roaring flame and infectious passion.”

Known for her artistic versatility, Ms. Sun seamlessly bridges classical masterworks, contemporary music, improvisation, and folk traditions. In 2023, she presented the China premiere of Grammy Award–winning composer John Luther Adams’s Three High Places for solo violin during her international recital tour. Her work as an improvisational soloist with Yo-Yo Ma’s International Youth Music Culture Festival further demonstrates her commitment to expanding the boundaries of violin performance. Ms. Sun’s debut album, Passion, released in 2017, featured world premieres of Chinese folk-inspired violin works and quickly became a bestseller. The project was subsequently published with accompanying sheet music and later released internationally, establishing her as a leading advocate for contemporary Chinese violin repertoire.

A dedicated scholar and educator, Ms. Sun has mentored students who have been selected for renowned music programs such as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) and admitted to prestigious institutions including The Juilliard School. Her students have also earned top honors in the All-State Solo and Ensemble Competition and the Fairbanks Concerto Competition. Ms. Sun has also been invited to present violin and viola masterclasses at prestigious institutions, including Arizona State University (ASU), the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Wuhan Conservatory of Music in China, and other distinguished conservatories and universities. Beyond performance instruction, she has developed and taught courses in Alaska Native music, fostering greater awareness and appreciation of Alaska Native cultures while helping connect Alaska Native musical traditions with broader audiences. In 2024, she was nominated for the Robert Piacenza Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of her outstanding dedication and excellence in music education.

Ms. Sun earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University and her Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied on full scholarship with the legendary violinist Ida Kavafian. She also holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Psychology from Bard College, where she was awarded both a full scholarship and a full fellowship in recognition of her exceptional academic and artistic achievements. Since relocating to Alaska in 2022, Ms. Sun has become a driving force in the state’s cultural and musical life, serving as Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Director of the Northern Lights String Orchestra, and Concertmaster of both the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Chamber Orchestra. Prior to moving to Alaska, she performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2022.

In 2025, Ms. Sun co-founded the International Chamber Music Alaska (ICMA) Festival and serves as its Artistic Director. Through ICMA, she is realizing an ambitious vision of bringing internationally renowned artists—including nine-time Grammy Award–winning violinist Philip Setzer—to Alaska, creating transformative opportunities for artistic excellence, education, and cultural exchange. Under her leadership, ICMA is emerging as a premier destination for world-class chamber music training and performance in the North.

Performing on a 2019 Marcello Villa violin, Yue Sun continues to inspire audiences worldwide through her virtuosity, artistic imagination, and unwavering commitment to musical innovation and excellence. In her spare time, she enjoys composing, designing, and keeping up with the endless adventures of motherhood.

Philip Tacka received his doctorate from The Catholic University of America and completed a year of postdoctoral work at the Franz Liszt Academy, Budapest/Zoltan Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Hungary.

He is a Professor of Music in The Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. His research interests encompass all aspects of music education, with a particular emphasis on music perception and cognition. He writes in collaboration with Dr. Micheál Houlahan, chair of The Tell School of Music. Their publications include Kodály Today and the accompanying seven volumes in the Oxford University Press series. Two new volumes, Choral Artistry: A Kodály Perspective for Middle School to College Level Choirs and Choral Sight Reading, are scheduled to be published in 2023 by Oxford.

He has been involved in Kodály Teacher Training programs every year since the early 1980s. He has written and provided professional development for four United States Department of Education grants awarded to both the Austin and Houston, Texas Independent School Districts. Dr. Tacka has also served on editorial boards and as a grant evaluator for more than a decade on the American Fellowship Panel for the American Association of University Women.

Before his current position, he was an Associate Professor of Music in the Department of Art, Music & Theatre at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.. He worked with the Georgetown University Medical School’s Institute for Cognitive and Computational Science in the neuropsychology of music perception.

He regularly presents papers and workshops both nationally and internationally on aspects of music education, music perception and cognition, and Kodály studies. He has lectured in Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In March 2016, he was awarded the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2017, he received a distinguished alumnus award from the Government of Hungary.

Xinyuan Wang is a young Chinese pianist. He was awarded Third Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition. He is a Young Artist of the Joint Institute of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Currently he serves as a faculty member of the Piano Department at Sichuan Conservatory of Music and a Yamaha Artist.

Mr. Wang began his piano studies at age eight. At ten, he began his training under Professor Wang Yan at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. At twelve, he was admitted to the Affiliated Middle School of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. During his studies there, he won numerous prizes in national youth piano competitions, including three first‑place awards and one second‑place award. He later pursued studies at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Poland. At nineteen, he enrolled at the Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar in Germany, studying piano performance under distinguished professors Balázs Szokolay, Peter Waas and Grigory Gruzman. 

Xinyuan won the  Third Prize & Audience Prize in the 19th Leeds International Piano Competition (UK) in 2018. He completed five demanding rounds with extensive repertoire, then he attained third prize together with the Audience Prize at one of the world’s most prestigious classical piano competitions.

Since 2019, Xinyuan Wang has embarked on an international recital tour with performances across continents. His international engagements include solo recitals at Salle Cortot in Paris (France), appearances at the Sintra Festival (Portugal), as well as recitals at the University of Leeds, Harrogate Festival and Chetham’s International Summer Piano Festival in the United Kingdom. He has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as The Hallé Orchestra (UK) and MÁV Symphony Orchestra (Hungary).

Within China, he has performed with the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, Chengdu City Concert Hall Orchestra, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra and Kunming International Philharmonic Orchestra. He has given solo recitals worldwide in cities including London, Paris, Budapest, Saratov (Russia), Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Suzhou, Shenyang and Hangzhou.

On December 11 of 2019, Xinyuan gave his solo recital premiere at Wigmore Hall, London. The concert was streamed globally by medici.tv, the world’s leading classical‑music streaming platform. Following the performance, he was featured in exclusive interviews by BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and Global Times. International Piano magazine commented that his interpretations of Schubert and Bartók are distinctive and compelling.

On July 190, 2020, he gave an online solo recital at the Meiningen State Theatre (Germany) in partnership with premium classical streaming platform Qchamberstream, earning wide acclaim from critics and audiences. 

Starting in summer 2023, he returns annually to the UK for solo performances and masterclasses at the Classical Madness Festival, receiving enthusiastic reception. 

In 2026, Xinyuan Wang collaborated with UK‑based Classical‑D Records to complete a live‑recorded album featuring works by Robert Schumann, scheduled for worldwide release at the end of the year.

Praised by TheBoston Globe as “a world-class pianist,” Xiaopei Xu has captivated audiences worldwide with performances described as “spellbinding and expressive” (Boston Musical Intelligencer). She made her Boston Symphony Hall concerto debut with Boston Pops in 2018 and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Recent highlights include appearances presented by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Musical Association, Puddingstone Festival, Foundation for the Chinese Performing Arts, The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, German Society of Pennsylvania, Lancaster International Piano Festival, Chinese American Museum (LA), Ukraine Forward, College Music Society, among others. Her concerts have been featured in The Boston Globe, Sing Tao Daily, Boston Musical Intelligencer, Lancaster New Era, and in major Chinese publications such as Shanghai Morning Post, Qilu Evening news, Music Weekly, Yanzhao Metropolis Daily, and Shanxi Evening News.

Xu is a laureate of several international competitions, including the New York International Piano Competition, Cooper International Piano Competition, Tureck International Bach Competition, Richmond Piano Competition and the Washington D.C. International Young Artist Competition. She has been featured in prominent festivals such as Pianofest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Banff Music Centre, Sarasota Music Festival, Russia Young Artist Festival, and the Walnut Hill Music Festival. Xu regularly gives masterclasses and lectures in China, including in Nanjing, Beijing, Qingdao, and serves on the piano faculty at the Lancaster Intentional Piano Festival in the US.

Beyond the concert stage, Xu integrates her passion for visual arts into her musical projects, creating multidisciplinary collaborations that enrich the concert experience. She has been commissioned for installations and multimedia performances. Notable projects include a combined art and concert presentation at the Germany Society of Pennsylvania, and a visual installation for The Seven Deadly Sins, an interdisciplinary concert at the New England Conservatory. Collections of her artwork have been published by Jeune Critique, the journal of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition.

Xu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, a Master of Music from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory. She is the co-founder of Psychopomp Ensemble and an Affiliated Artist at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

Dr. Xiaoyang Zhao is a lyric baritone currently serving as Assistant Professor of Voice at Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) and Associate Professor of Voice at Zhuhai College of Science and Technology (ZCST). As an opera singer, he has been engaged by San Diego Opera, San Diego Lyric Opera, and Washington Bel Cantanti Opera, performing roles in classic operas including The Old Maid and the Thief, La Rondine, Hamlet, Aida, Tannhäuser, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

In recent years, Dr. Zhao has continued to expand his artistic and academic endeavors. In 2024, he was invited as a guest vocalist at the "Youth Concert Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of China-U.S. Diplomatic Relations" held at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. In 2025, he delivered a remote lecture-recital, "Songs as Weapons: Political Influence on Chinese Song Composition (1931–1945)," at the World Music Forum hosted by Cornell University, contributing to the international dissemination and scholarly reappraisal of Chinese wartime and art songs.

Dr. Zhao has also produced a substantial body of scholarly work. His article, "The AI-Technological Turn in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy," received the First Prize in the "Wanye Cup" Paper Selection at the 2025 National Music Education Conference. He has published over a dozen articles in both domestic and international academic journals, including China Music Education, Art of Singing, Artistic Exploration, and the International Journal of Music and Performing Arts. In 2025, he published his monograph Fundamental Concepts and Practical Approaches in Vocal Pedagogy.

Dr. Zhao's artistic career has taken him across China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, where he regularly presents solo recitals and voice masterclasses. Committed to vocal music outreach and public engagement, he has participated in initiatives such as the "Dialogue with World Musicians: Public Welfare Lecture Series on Combating COVID-19" and "Renowned Musicians in Local Communities" programs. In recognition of his contributions to performance, teaching, and community service, Dr. Zhao received the "Outstanding Musician Award of Guangdong Province" in both 2022 and 2025.