Biography
Praised as "positively magical," an artist of "rare eloquence and grace," American pianist Grace Fong performs internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She has gained critical acclaim in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, making appearances at major venues around the world, including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, Hollywood Bowl, Great Hall in Leeds, UK, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Germany, among others. Radio/television broadcasts have included British Broadcasting Company, WCLV-FM 104.9, KUSC 91.5 FM in Los Angeles, the "Emerging Young Artists" series in New York, and "Performance Today" on National Public Radio. Performances with orchestras have included the Halle Orchestra in the United Kingdom, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, the Olympia Philharmonic Orchestra, The Shreveport Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, among others.
Described by one critic as "absolutely astounding-and now I've run out of praiseworthy adjectives," Dr. Fong is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in the United Kingdom, 2007 Bosendorfer International Piano Competition, San Antonio International Piano Competition, Viardo International Piano Competition, and the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Most recently, Dr. Fong is the winner of one of America's most prestigious piano awards, the 2009 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship of the American Pianists Association, after a competitive one-year and a half process that began with nominations and culminated in solo, chamber, lieder, and concerto performances in Indianapolis in spring 2009. The first female winner in twelve years, the DeHaan Classical Fellow, Grace Fong receives three years of concerts and recitals both nationally and internationally through the APA's PianoFest program, promotional materials, and a debut CD release. She will also participate in education and community outreach programs called Concerto Curriculum. The value of a two-year Fellowship is $75,000. Before this, Dr. Fong has won the Grand Prize in piano from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and was thereafter named a "Presidential Scholar in the Arts", and was presented a medallion by former President Clinton at the White House. Other prizes include Gold Medalist for the Wideman International Piano Competition, the winner of the Music Academy of the West Concerto Competition, the winner of the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition, 1st Prize in the Los Angeles Liszt Competition, 1st Prize in the Edith Knox Performance Competition.
Dr. Fong is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Sergei Babayan who describes Dr. Fong as "not only a true artist and an exciting virtuoso, but a sensitive poet who can speak about the most important of subjects through the craft of her hands." During the course of her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California, Dr. Fong completed a double major and minor; she was awarded the prestigious Renaissance Scholar Prize, and was named "The USC Thornton School of Music Keyboard Department's - Most Outstanding Student - B.M." Former teachers include Sergei Babayan, John Perry, Louise Lepley, Paulina Drake, and Norberto Cappone.
Dr. Fong is currently the Director of Keyboard Studies at Chapman University Conservatory of Music where she was recently awarded the 2008 faculty excellence award at the Conservatory of Music. An enthusiastic supporter of the education of young musicians, Dr. Fong has served as guest artist and teacher at the Innsbrook Summer Festival, the New Hampshire Music Festival, the first Salt Spring Piano Festival, the Montecito Summer Festival 2008, and the Sitka Chamber Music Festival. A chamber music enthusiast, Dr. Fong frequently performs in chamber music settings, and is one of the founders of the Selvaggi Trio, described as a group "with technical brilliance, infectious energy and sheer enjoyment of making music."
More recently, Dr. Fong has embarked on a series of collaborations with dancers, filmmakers, fashion designers, artists, and also enjoys performing music that crosses the genres of classical, jazz and Latin lounge. She is a frequent guest artist with the group Pink Martini, which has been described as the house band of the United Nations, and whose music can be called "vintage music." This “little orchestra” was founded in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks. With the group, Dr. Fong has shared the stage with some of America's top orchestras and figures, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, NPR's Ari Shapiro and Emmy-award winner, Emilio Delgado. Dr. Fong has also recently collaborated with dance choreographer, Alicia Okouchi-Guy (whose credits include Prince, Paula Abdul, Married With Children, The Oprah Winfrey Show, MTV, the New York Knicks City Dancers), on a project entitled "Grace," involving live, solo piano and a dance trio. Recently, Dr. Fong was filmed and recorded in London for a music video for the award-winning C Music TV channel by Oscar nominated & multi-award winning film Director Mike Figgis. Dr. Fong can be seen on C Music TV as well as on the Alexander Toradze documentary on WNIT-TV and national PBS in 2010, and in 2011, can be heard on the Heinz label for a Starbucks cd release, and on RED label performing chamber works.
Grace Fong
Concert Pianist
To study with Dr. Grace Fong, click here:
www.chapman.edu/music
bach played by
sergei babayan
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