William Wei 魏靖儀, violin

Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition 2015, William Wei gained recognition as one of the most promising violinists of his generation in Taiwan. With inherent musicality and refined sensibility, Wei is a liberated virtuo with shimmering dynamism. Praised by Le Soir (Belgium), Wei "burns all his passion and freedom in the music till the end"; and "[is]… proved to be a virtuoso, but [with] a special and sensitive interpreter at the same time" (WestDeutsche Zeitung).

 Highlights in the last season include a successful debut in Germany with Niederrheinische Sinfoniker and Shao-Chia Lü for Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3. Back at home in Taiwan, Wei made his debut with the London Philharmonic under the baton of Edward Gardner performing Sibelius and Saint-Saëns violin concerti which received great attention, following his first collaboration with Eiji Oue and the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra performing on Tchaikovsky violin concerto. His strong mental strength and adaptability have allowed him to several last-minute step-in concerts with Eliahu Inbal and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, the latest being Prokofiev’s first violin concerto for Baiba Skride. His season 2024 begins with a return to Weiwuying International Music Festival for a duo concert with Sunwook Kim and debuts with Taipei Chinese Orchestra, National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan, a seasonal opening concert with Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra with Brahms violin concerto; giving master classes at Talent Music Summer Course and Festival in Brescia, Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy and a debut concert at Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte in Berlin.

As an active soloist and a chamber musician, Wei has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Eliahu Inbal, Marin Alsop, Edward Gardner, Wen-pin Chien, Shao-Chia Lü, Eiji Oue, Gil Shaham, Nai-Yuan Hu, Pei-Yao Wang, Sung-Won Yang, Orion Weiss, Sunwook Kim; his orchestral collaborations include Belgium National Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Niederrheinische Sinfoniker, Sejong Soloists, Taiwan Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Boston Longwood Symphony; He has appeared on stage of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the Henry Le Boeuf Hall in Brussels, Gasteig Concert Hall in Munich, Seoul Arts Center, Cremona Stradivari Museum (Museo del Violino), National Concert Hall in Taipei and Weiwuying Concert Hall in Kaohsiung.

William Wei captured international attention as the joint gold medalist of the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition in 2013. He was later awarded Laureate Distinction at the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in 2015, followed by a reception of the Salon de Virtuosi career grant in 2018. Wei plays the 1722 Stradivari Joachim-Elman violin on a generous loan from the Chimei Cultural Foundation in Taiwan.

Videos 影音連結

• Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy, Op 46 // William WEI, Eliahu Inbal & Taipei Symphony Orchestra

• Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61// William Wei/ Eliahu Inbal

• 1722 Stradivari Joachim-Elman violin photo

• Chimei Cultural Foundation LOGO

榮獲2015年伊莉莎白女王國際音樂大賽桂冠的魏靖儀，是備受國際矚目的臺灣新生代小提琴家。其音樂性天然靈動、情感真摯細膩，演奏技巧游刃有餘，散發光芒四溢的音樂爆發力。比利時《晚訊報》讚譽「在音樂中燃燒他的熱情與率性，直到樂曲完結。」《西德日報》稱「魏靖儀已證明自己是位大師，以一種魔幻敏銳的方式詮釋音樂。」

 上個樂季，魏靖儀與德國下萊茵交響樂團及指揮呂紹嘉首次巡演德國，演出聖桑斯第三號小提琴協奏曲，西德日報讚賞「具有極其細微的音樂顏色變化。」在臺灣，魏靖儀首次與倫敦愛樂、指揮加德納演出西貝流士及聖桑斯協奏曲獲得高度關注；首次與指揮大植英次及國立臺灣交響樂團合作演出柴可夫斯基小提琴協奏曲。他強大的心理素質極富應變能力，讓指揮殷巴爾數度邀請，包括代打絲凱德與臺北市立交響樂團演出普羅科菲夫第一號小提琴協奏曲。2024年春天重返衛武營國際音樂節，首次與韓國鋼琴家金善昱演出二重奏。其他樂季亮點包括將與臺北市立國樂團、臺灣國樂團首次合作，高雄市交響樂團合作演出布拉姆斯小提琴協奏曲；大師班包括義大利布雷西亞音樂營、卡薩爾馬焦雷音樂營、柏林布蘭登堡夏季音樂會，並再次受邀柏林愛樂音樂廳午間音樂會等。

 魏靖儀曾以獨奏家身分與一流音樂家合作，如指揮殷巴爾、艾索普，加德納、簡文彬、呂紹嘉、大植英次；吉爾・夏漢、胡乃元、王佩瑤、梁盛苑、奧里安・魏斯、金善昱等；合作樂團包括比利時國家管弦樂團、克里夫蘭管弦樂團、倫敦愛樂、德國下萊茵交響樂團、世宗獨奏家樂團、國家交響樂團、臺北市立交響樂團、國立臺灣交響樂團、波士頓長木交響樂團等；於紐約林肯音樂中心、卡內基音樂廳、新英格蘭音樂院約旦音樂廳、布魯塞爾王家美術宮拉寶芙音樂廳、慕尼黑加斯泰格音樂廳、首爾藝術中心、克雷默納史特拉底瓦里博物館、臺北國家音樂廳、衛武營國家藝術文化中心音樂廳等。

 魏靖儀於2013年初試啼聲即奪下庫柏國際小提琴大賽首獎，2015年比利時伊莉莎白女王國際音樂大賽榮獲桂冠。2018年獲得 Salon de Virtuosi 藝術事業獎。目前使用由奇美文化基金會贊助提供的1722年史特拉底瓦里「姚阿幸—艾爾曼」名琴。

Evan Wong 汪奕聞, pianist
https://www.evanwongpiano.com/

Praised by the Chopin Magazine in Japan for his "transparent, beautiful tone and thoughtful interpretation," Taiwanese American pianist Evan Wong is the Silver Medalist and audience prize winner of the 6th Sendai International Competition in Japan. He has appeared in recitals and concerts throughout North America, Europe and Asia in venues such as Carnegie’s Weill Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, Jordan Hall and John Hancock Hall in Boston, Chicago Cultural Center and Pick-Staiger Hall in Chicago, Toppan Hall, Hitachi Systems Hall, Kirishima Concert Hall and Itzumity 21 Concert Hall in Japan, Daegu Concert House in South Korea, Flagey Studio 4 in Belgium, Brussels, Richard Jakoby Saal in Hannover, Germany, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain, Teatro Marrucino in Italy, Music Centre in Helsinki, Finland and Taiwan National Concert Hall, Taichung Opera House and Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan.

He released his first solo album under the Acousence Label in Germany in 2020 and has also recorded for the MPR (Minnesota, USA), WFMT (Chicago, USA), KBS (South Korea), Shanghai Classical 94.7 (China), and the Taipei Classical, Radio Taiwan International, National Education, Bravo 91.3 and Voice of Han (Taiwan) stations.

Mr. Wong has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Sendai Philharmonic, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes de México, Southern Illinois Festival Orchestra, Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra, New Sendai Philharmonic, Saga Symphony Orchestra, World Civic Orchestra, Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and the NEC Philharmonia Orchestra and conductors Pascal Verrot, Julian Kuerti, Victor Yampolsky, Dorian Wilson, Daniela Candillari, Paul Meyer, Yuri Nitta, Edward Benyas, Kuokman Lio, Seitaro Ishikawa, Tung-Chieh Chuang, Gernot Schmalfuss and Ludwig Carrasco.

A frequent guest in several renowned festivals, Mr. Wong has performed at the Verbier, Lucerne, Ravinia, Aspen, Gilmore, Kneisel Hall festivals where he has worked and collaborated with musicians such as Itzak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Gary Hoffman, Midori, Mihaela Martin, Pamela Frank, Franz Helmerson, Laurence Lesser, Kim Kashkashian and members of the Cleveland, Takacs and Juilliard Quartets.

Mr. Wong holds degrees from the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Germany (Konzertexamen), Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music (D.M.A), The Juilliard School (M.M) and the New England Conservatory (B.M). His teachers include Matti Raekallio, Jerome Lowenthal, Wha Kyung Byun, Boris Slutsky, Mengchieh Liu, Alan Chow, Ewa Kupiec and Rolf-Peter Wille.

Currently, Mr. Wong is a Full-time Assistant Professor at the Taipei National University of the Arts. He has also taught at the Harbin Conservatory of Music in China as their Distinguished Professor and served on the faculties at the University of Taipei and Fu Jen University.

Silver medalist and audience prize winner of the 6th Sendai International Competition in Japan, Taiwanese American pianist Evan Wong has appeared in recitals and concerts throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Mr. Wong has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Sendai Philharmonic, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes de México, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and released his first solo album under the Acousence Label in Germany in 2020.

Mr. Wong currently teaches at the Taipei National University of the Arts.
 

Program notes of  "Theater on the BEDs 床上的劇場"
by Shiuan Chang 張玹

Theater on the BEDs 床上的劇場 is the concluding piece in Songs of Dun Ren 敦仁 , a 56-minute violin-piano duo commissioned by Dunren 敦仁 Hospital and its founder, Yen-Chung Hu 胡延忠. This musical collection accompanies patients through daily routines—from morning wake-up, breakfast, and exercise to taking medication, having lunch, resting, and eventually drifting to sleep-replacing the hospital’s traditional verbal and bell sound announcements. Songs of Dun Ren reaches out especially to those who have experienced trauma or difficult times, offering comfort and a sense of accompaniment. For Shiuan Chang 張玹, the project became a transformative personal journey: a year ago, he endured a severe panic attack that disrupted his autonomic nervous system. The compositions are the honest documentation of his inner dialogue and ongoing self-reconstruction.

"Before drifting into sleep, my mind wanders upon the bed. I ponder what dreams my fellow patients entertain before slumber. Do they, like me, stage a nightly theater of changing scenes? This piece is my first exploration of minimalism, woven delicately around three notes: B (si), E (mi), and D (re). Though I have no formal study of minimalism, its beauty lies in the subtle weight shifts in repeated intervals, creating a sense of weightless grace."  -Shiuan Chang 張玹.