Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Live at Salle Claude-Champagne, 20 January 2024
Fiona Wu
Pianist
Professor of piano at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal
…complete mastery of contrapuntal detail in the Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830… intense immersion in the Toccata, Sarabande and Gigue…
Biography
Canadian pianist Fiona Wu is a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative artist based in Montréal. She teaches piano at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.
Her playing and her teaching rest on one simple belief: the most powerful performance comes from setting pretense aside and playing from the essence of who you are.
Praised for her “complete mastery of contrapuntal detail” and “intense immersion” (New York Concert Review), she is a laureate of the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition and won the Prix Guy-Soucie and the Prix Monik-Grenier at the Prix d’Europe. Her performance of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto earned her third prize at the Concours de concerto de l’OUM.
She has performed across North America and Europe, and has played in masterclasses for Robert Levin, Benedetto Lupo and Kevin Kenner, among others. Her work has been supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the AIDA Fund of Jeunesses Musicales.
Fiona holds a doctorate from the Université de Montréal, where she studied with Jimmy Brière, Jean Saulnier and Henry Kramer. She speaks English, French, Mandarin and Russian, a range that reflects her belief that music, at its best, transcends borders.
Drawing on her own journey through performance anxiety, she gives talks and masterclasses on authenticity and courage on stage, helping musicians find freedom in vulnerability.
At a glance
- Teaches at
- Conservatoire de musique de Montréal
- Doctorate
- Université de Montréal
- Laureate
- Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition
- Prix d’Europe
- Prix Guy-Soucie and Prix Monik-Grenier
- OUM Concerto Competition
- Third prize, Beethoven, Concerto No. 4
- Languages
- English, French, Mandarin, Russian
Fiona often asks her students:
What would you play if you weren’t afraid?
It is a question she keeps asking herself. The paradox of great performance, she believes, is that you must stop pretending in order to be truly heard.
Performance isn’t pretense. It is presence.
Listen
Recent performances, from the concerto stage to the lecture-recital.
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Teaching
Fiona teaches piano at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. She also keeps a private studio for students of all ages, in Montréal and online.
Her students speak of rigour, of harmonic analysis, of repertoire chosen to help them grow, and of a healthy way to progress.
In her students’ words
She has an uncanny ability to select pieces that offer musical challenges to my adult mind, guiding me into repertoires I both enjoy and that push me beyond my comfort zone. Fiona taught me the importance of rigor in approaching each piece.
Grâce à son aide et à ses encouragements, mon interprétation musicale d’aujourd’hui est méconnaissable comparativement à mes débuts à ses côtés. […] J’ai regagné confiance en mon jeu.
Many pianists can hit the right notes, but Fiona truly plays the music. […] Good teachers teach you about the art but great teachers go beyond that.
Talks and masterclasses
Fiona knows performance anxiety from the inside. Her own path through it led to talks and masterclasses on authenticity and courage on stage.
In them she helps musicians find freedom in vulnerability, and trade appearance for presence.
Schools, conservatories and presenters are welcome to invite her. Get in touch
Contact
Concerts, masterclasses, talks, private lessons.
Send Fiona a direct message.