Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts Summer FREE Concert @ NEC 2026 夏日系列音樂會 at New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts  Aug 6 to 22, 2026 All concerts Admission Free, suggested donation $10 at door Age 6 and under not admitted

Passionate about cultural exchange and the social impact of music, she is committed to bringing high-level performance beyond traditional concert halls and into communities around the world. From 2024 to 2026, she tours Nepal, Cambodia, and Japan as a string quartet with Midori for the ICEP “Music Sharing” program, engaging in outreach, education, and cross-cultural dialogue through music.

She is the winner of the Fritz Leitermeyer Competition of the Vienna Philharmonic’s academy, through which she performed with the orchestra for two years under conductors including Christian Thielemann, Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, and Zubin Mehta, in major venues such as the Musikverein, Berliner Philharmonie, Suntory Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Prague Rudolfinum, Concertgebouw, and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. During this period, she also appeared in chamber performances alongside members of the orchestra in the United States, Austria, and Japan.

During her bachelor’s studies with Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory in Boston, she was mentored by members of the Cleveland and Juilliard Quartets. With her string quartet, she received top prizes at the Plowman and Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions.

Annette later continued her studies in Salzburg with Clemens Hagen and in Berlin with Nicolas Altstaedt. Her artistic development has been further shaped by masterclasses with Gautier Capuçon, Steven Isserlis, Ivan Monighetti, Philippe Muller, and Maxim Vengerov, and she has performed at renowned festivals such as the Ravel Festival, Pau Casals Festival in Catalonia, Lavaux Classic, and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

She plays on a 1740 cello made in Perugia by Giacomo Gavelli.
 

Nan Ni, piano
Winner of 2022 Fou Ts'ong International Concerto Competition

Born in Anhui, China, Nan Ni began studying piano at the age of five. Described by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “a confident, accurate, powerful, and articulate interpreter,” she has captivated audiences with performances that combine both intellectual depth and genuine musical expression. As the first-prize winner of the 2022 Fou Ts’ong International Concerto Competition in Boston, her performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Mercury  Orchestra at Jordan Hall was praised for its “limpid refinement in the adagio” and “exquisitely vanishing pianissimos.”

Nan’s other accolades include first prize at the Los Angeles Young Musician International Piano Competition, third prize at the Conero International Piano Competition, and second prize at the Shenzhen Piano Open Competition. She is also a three-time winner of the Piano Department Honors Competition at the New England Conservatory (NEC). Her achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards such as the St.Botolph Club Foundation 2025 Emerging Artist Award, the Tan Family Grant Scholarship, the Shanghai Government Scholarship, the Niu Ende Piano Music Scholarship, and the Audience Award at the winners' concert.

As a soloist and avid chamber musician, Nan has performed widely in Asia, America, and Europe, and has appeared in renowned music festivals such as Music@Menlo, Ravinia Steans Institute, Summer Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg, and Music Academy of the West. Nan’s musical journey began at the Music Middle School affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory, where she studied for nine years under Natalia Filippova. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in 2021 and her Master’s degree in 2023 from NEC, studying with Bruce Brubaker. Currently, she is pursuing the highly competitive Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree at NEC under the guidance of Bruce Brubaker and Alessio Bax.

In addition to her achievements as a pianist, Nan is an accomplished organist, studying with Thomas Handel at NEC. She has performed as a solo organist at the Church of the Covenant in Boston and collaborated with the NEC Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Beyond her musical pursuits, Nan is deeply passionate about ancient Chinese poetry and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She is always intrigued to explore the intersections of art forms, as she believes in their profound interconnections that infuse music-making with additional layers of meaning and resonance.

           



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Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts

中華表演藝術基金會 Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts Lincoln,  Massachusetts