Jury
WEI Danwen
[ Pianist, China ]
Danwen Wei, a native of the People’s Republic of China, is hailed as one of the most outstanding musicians of his generation. His commanding technique and artistic temperament have resulted in his appearances as soloist with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the New York Chamber Symphony, the Augusta Symphony, symphony of the Americas, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Shanghai Symphony, the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra, the National Orchestra of China and the Singapore Symphony among many others. His performance with the New York Philharmonic was broadcast on PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center” series.
A Steinway Artist, Mr. Wei has performed in cities throughout the United States as well as in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and mainland China. His two solo albums were released on 3D Classic label, and a recording of a new concerto by Chinese Composer Zhang Zhao was released by China Record Company.
Mr. Wei is now a much sought after teacher in China and a frequent adjudicator in both national and international piano competitions. Mr. Wei’s students have won top prizes in many competitions, including first prize of Cleveland International Piano Competition and prizes in Tchaikovsky, Geneva, Margaret Long, and Scottish international among many others.
In recent years, Mr. Wei has expanded into the area of conducting as well. He is the chief conductor of “Cross strait piano festival “, and guest conducted dozens of orchestras worldwide.
A graduate of the Juilliard School and one of the last pupils of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Mr. Wei is on the faculty of the Central Conservatory of China in Beijing, and became chairman of its piano department in 2019.