Chi-Chen Wu

“…the soul of the composer resonates with her, as heard in her superb control of rubato rhythm, and the bristling excitement of her melodic phrasing.” - Fanfare

“The first two sonatas are interpreted brilliantly, largely thanks to Wu. … If you love these sonatas, this disc is a must-have.” - American Record Guide

“I found pianist Chi-Chen Wu to be extremely virtuosic…” “This journey was gorgeously rendered...” - New York Concert Review

Recently making her Carnegie Hall debut with the Helios trio, Wu has appeared as recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, among others. She has performed at numerous festivals including Aspen, Monadnock, and the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert Series. Her live performances have been broadcast on NPR’s live performance programs Simply Grand Concert Series, From The Top, and many others.

Chi-Chen’s album of Schumann Fantasie and Carnaval on a Graf fortepiano won an award for Best Classical Album in the Global Music Awards. Her recording of Schumann’s complete sonatas for piano and violin also on a Graf fortepiano received two gold medals from the same competition. American Record Guide selected it as one of the top recordings of this repertoire and recommends its readers to “Stick with Kremer and Argerich or DiEugenio and Wu.” It was also named in the Top 10 "Best Classical Recordings of 2015" by The Big City, New York.

Some highlights of her recent professional activities include a recital with Augustin Hadelich, performances as soloist in Gershwin Concerto in F as well as Wölfl’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and a concert at the Nuremberg Symphony Hall in Germany.

Dr. Wu is Associate Professor of Piano and Keyboard Area Chair at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, School of Music. Her students have been prizewinners in international competitions and have been accepted for graduate study to the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, McGill University, Conservatoire de Paris and other such institutions.