Frederic Chiu

The story of U.S. pianist Frederic Chiu is that of the ugly duckling. When he was a young man, he was often kicked out in the first round of international piano competitions. The candidate with the pony tale who brought his own piano chair and who preferred playing extravagant transcriptions over performing standard repertory appeared just too strange to the jurors. At age 48, however, Chiu has been able to turn his stubbornness to a recipe for success. The son of Chinese immigrants fills big concert halls in the United States and in Europe, and he has made a name for himself as an interpreter of the works of Prokofiev, Debussy, and virtuosic transctiptions written by himself and by others. In addition, he leads courses of his own design, where the participants not only play the piano but also discuss philosophy, cooking, and how to give concerts without practicing. His latest CD, "Distant Voies," contains works by Debussy and by Chinese composer Gao Ping, whose music demands that Chiu not only use his fingers, but also his voice apparatus.

Listen (in German)

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