Psychopomp Ensemble
https://www.psychopompensemble.com/

In Greek mythology, a Psychopomp is a conductor of souls.

Co-founded by pianists Chi-Wei Lo and Xiaopei Xu, Psychopomp Ensemble weaves together a diverse tapestry of traditional serious music, third stream, jazz, pop, blues, minimalist, and contemporary, creating an auditory experience that defies categorization. 

Their arrangements—some in their psychopomp mode—blend improvisation, re-composition, and unaltered portions into original works, guiding both connoisseurs and newcomers through their musical universe. The Boston Musical Intelligencer describes them as offering "new directions in pianism” and exploring the “far reaches of musical possibilities." They aspire not merely to stake a claim but to reshape the landscape, push boundaries, and redefine possibilities within the realm of two-piano as well as four-hand repertoire.

Recently, Psychopomp Ensemble appeared on The Kamerman Piano Series at the University of West Florida and at Puddingstone Events in Rhode Island. Additionally, Psychopomp’s past performance highlights include concerts presented by Chamber Music Charlestown, UCLA, the Chinese American Museum (LA), the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Scripps College, Ukraine Forward, the College Music Society, the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, the Lancaster Piano Festival, and the German Society of Pennsylvania. In 2021, Psychopomp Ensemble participated in interdisciplinary events in Los Angeles, which garnered coverage from more than a dozen media outlets, including The LA Times, NBC News, and others.

Xiaopei Xu 徐小培, pianist

Praised by The Boston Globe as “a world-class pianist,” Xiaopei Xu has captivated audiences worldwide with performances described as “spellbinding and expressive”(Boston Musical Intelligencer). She made her Boston Symphony Hall concerto debut with Boston Pops in 2018 and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across North America, Europe, and Asia. 

Recent highlights include appearances presented by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Musical Association, Puddingstone Festival, Foundation for the Chinese Performing Arts, The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, German Society of Pennsylvania, Lancaster International Piano Festival, Chinese American Museum(LA), Ukraine Forward, College Music Society, among others. Her concerts have been featured in The Boston Globe, Sing Tao Daily, Boston Musical Intelligencer, Lancaster New Era, and in major Chinese publications such as Shanghai Morning Post, Qilu Evening news, Music Weekly, Yanzhao Metropolis Daily, and Shanxi Evening News.

Xu is a laureate of several international competitions, including the New York International Piano Competition, Cooper International Piano Competition, Tureck International Bach Competition, Richmond Piano Competition and the Washington D.C. International Young Artist Competition. She has been featured in prominent festivals such as Pianofest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Banff Music Centre, Sarasota Music Festival, Russia Young Artist Festival, and the Walnut Hill Music Festival. Xu regularly gives masterclasses and lectures in China, including in Nanjing, Beijing, Qingdao, and serves on the piano faculty at the Lancaster Intentional Piano Festival in the US.

Beyond the concert stage, Xu integrates her passion for visual arts into her musical projects, creating multidisciplinary collaborations that enrich the concert experience. She has been commissioned for installations and multimedia performances. Notable projects include a combined art and concert presentation at the Germany Society of Pennsylvania, and a visual installation for The Seven Deadly Sins, an interdisciplinary concert at the New England Conservatory. Collections of her artwork have been published by Jeune Critique, the journal of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition.

Xu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, a Master of Music from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory. She is the co-founder of Psychopomp Ensemble and an Affiliated Artist at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

Chi Wei Lo  駱奇偉, pianist/arranger

Chi-Wei Lo is a pianist, improviser, and arranger whose performances utilize a plethora of musical languages. As a co-founder of the Psychopomp Ensemble, Lo has continually pushed boundaries, blending interdisciplinary art forms with both traditional and avant-garde musical elements to create compelling concert experiences.

With a career spanning diverse platforms, Lo has been presented by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, North American Medical Orchestra, The Lancaster Piano Festival, College Music Society, UCLA, Lilypad, Chamber Music Charlestown, The Harvard Musical Association, The Chinese American Museum (LA), Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, Caroga Arts Collective, New Asia Chamber Music Society, the German Society of Pennsylvania, and the Counterpoint Ensemble (Taiwan), among many others.

Lo’s dedication to his craft is evident in his diverse projects and achievements. In 2018, he was commissioned by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC) for its 10th anniversary, resulting in the creation of his album Piano Improvisations and the issuance of a limited edition metro-card in Taiwan. His solo tours, such as The Dance of the Seven Deadly Sins, Declaration of Aesthetics, and Twelve Over Twelve, not only showcased his extraordinary musical prowess but also included benefit concerts, reflecting his belief that musicians should contribute to their communities.

In addition to his musical output, Lo is a writer, contributing reviews and interviews to the Boston Musical Intelligencer, where his observations and musical knowledge further enrich the music community. He has also served as a judge for the Lancaster International Piano Festival competition and the A. Ramón Rivera Piano Competition.

Lo holds both a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) and a Master of Music (M.M.) in piano performance from The Juilliard School. He is expected to complete his Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) at the New England Conservatory in Contemporary Musical Arts (formerly known as Contemporary Improvisation) this year. Currently, Lo is shaping the next generation of musicians as an Assistant Professor in Composition at Berklee and a Theory Instructor at the New England Conservatory.