North Carolina Symphony- Russian Spectacular

Praised in the Wall Street Journal as “a most mature and sensitive pianist” and named one of the “up-and-coming talents” in classical music by Musical America, Chinese-born Di Wu continues to enhance her reputation as an elegant and powerful musician. Her concerts have taken her across the globe, charming audiences from East to West with her “charisma, steely technique and keen musical intelligence” (Philadelphia Inquirer) and her “fire and authority” (Washington Post).Now based in the United States, Di Wu made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut with Charles Dutoit in 2009. During 2010 to 2011, she returned for another Philadelphia engagement, this time under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach. Ms. Wu’s current American itinerary is highlighted by yet another Philadelphia appearance – a recital presented by that city’s distinguished Chamber Music Society – and once again comprises debuts and re-engagements as recitalist and soloist with orchestra on both coasts and numerous cities in between.Di Wu made her professional debut at the age of 14 with the Beijing Philharmonic, and has since appeared with orchestras such as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Hamburg Philharmoniker, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. In addition to orchestra engagements, Ms. Wu is also sought after as a recitalist. In New York, she made debuts at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and has also appeared in such music centers as Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as at the Ravinia Festival and the Portland Piano Festival. Di Wu is also a frequent performer in Europe and, of course, in major venues throughout Asia. Her most recent appearance in Tokyo, at an arena concert recorded and released by Sony-Epic Records in Japan, took place before an audience of over 11,000.

Ms. Wu’s recording of Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Books I and II received praise from Musical America, whose critic wrote “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.”

Winner of multiple awards including a coveted prize at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition; The Juilliard School’s Petschek Award; The Virtuosi Prize at Lisbon’s prestigious Vendome Competition; and the winner of Astral Artists’ 2007 National Auditions, Ms. Wu came to the United States in 1999 to study at the Manhattan School of Music with Zenon Fishbein. From 2000 to 2005, she studied at The Curtis Institute with Gary Graffman, subsequently earning a Master of Music degree at Juilliard under Yoheved Kaplinsky, and an Artist Diploma under the guidance of Joseph Kalichstein and Robert McDonald.

The petite pianist describes herself as a “huge foodie,” and enjoys cooking and sampling New York City’s wide array of restaurants.