Dr. Cheng Wai (Piano '91)
Called "The Piano Poet," the internationally renowned pianist and Steinway Artist from Hong Kong attended Curtis from 1987 to 1991.
Internationally acclaimed pianist, educator, philanthropist, and ambassador of the arts, Dr. Cheng Wai (’91), uses her platform to introduce a new style of classical music that crosses borders as a harmony of Eastern and Western musical elements, all the while encouraging and empowering her audience, especially women and children, in their passion and pursuit of classical music. Admired for her exquisite musicianship and consummate technical prowess, Dr. Cheng graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts before attending Curtis for her bachelor’s degree in piano performance, where she studied with the late legendary concert pianist, conductor, and educator Seymour Lipkin (Piano ’47), who served on the faculty from 1969 to 2015. Following her time here in Philadelphia, she received her master’s degree and artist diploma at Yale University and her doctoral degree at New York State University at Stony Brook.
Chairwoman of the Central Conservatory of Music (HK) Foundation, Dr. Cheng teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in addition to being a frequent adjudicator for numerous local and international competitions. She is the artistic director and founder of the Cheng Wai Piano Institute (CWPI) and is a founding member of the Metropolitan Trio and JW Piano Duo. Dr. Cheng often lectures on the history and evolution of the modern piano, followed by coachings on music interpretation and piano technique. Here, she reveals her personal training methods, offers mentoring advice, and ends with a discussion regarding ABRSM, the examination board and U.K.-based charity that delivers music exams and assessments across the globe. She also holds free public masterclasses and allows students of all ages to sign up for one-on-one classes featuring performances in front of a live audience with an additional Q&A.
One of Hong Kong’s most versatile pianists, Dr. Cheng is active in the classical music scene as both a soloist and chamber musician and has collaborated with numerous acclaimed instrumentalists, opera singers, and esteemed conductors: Augustin Dumay, Gustave Meier, Lawrence Smith, Samuel Wong, Yip Wing-sie, Zheng Xiao Ying, Mak Ka-lok, Hu Yong Yan, and Yan Hui Chang. She has served on the faculties of the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy, the Vianden International Chamber Music Festival, and the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain. She was also a special guest mentor at the Master Players Festival at the University of Delaware. Dr. Cheng has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the National Centre for Performing Arts, Beijing Concert Hall, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and other prestigious halls worldwide.
Visit Dr. Cheng Wai’s official website HERE.
Photos of Dr. Cheng courtesy of her official website and Facebook page. Black and white photo of Dr. Cheng with Curtis’s graduating class of 1991 (second row, fourth from the left), courtesy of the Curtis library and archives. Please visit the Curtis Institute of Music Open Archives and Recitals (CIMOAR) and learn more about Curtis’s library and archives HERE