Piano concert scheduled for February
Friday, January 5, 2024
Saint Meinrad Archabbey Cultural Events will present a piano concert on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Central Time in the St. Bede Hall Theater.
The concert titled, “The Piano Virtuoso,” will be performed by Muen Vanessa Wei. The program will include pieces by composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Franz Liszt.
Muen Vanessa Wei, a native of China, has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral pianist. She appeared as a guest soloist under the baton of Ian Hobson, Donald Schleicher, and Xiaoying Zheng. As a chamber musician, Wei has collaborated with musicians, Lynn Harrell, Henry Gronnior, Henry Hutchinson, Peter Lloyd, Ko Iwasaki, and Joel Smirnoff.
She joined the Astralis Ensemble in 2018 and performed across the United States. Wei also performed in many prestigious festivals, such as the Gilmore Keyboard Festival and the Montecito International Music Festival. In July 2017, she was invited to give a solo recital at the Dean Acheson Auditorium of the U.S. State Department.
In 2019, Wei released her debut album titled, “Im ¾ Takt!” on the label Centaur. Wei’s musicianship has been recognized in many competitions, including the Anton Rubinstein International Competition, Seattle International Competition, International Music Competition Paris Grand Prize Virtuoso, Artist Presentation Society Competition, Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York, China Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Beijing, the UI Symphony Concerto Competition, and Sinfonia da Camera Concerto Competition. She was the recipient of a fellowship from the University of Illinois in 2012, and the Montecito International Music Festival Fellowship from 2013-2015.
Wei received her Bachelor of Music degree from the China Conservatory. In 2012, she received her Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, with the honor of the Dr. Joseph and Bess Scharff Leven Prize in Piano. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Wei joined the faculty at Lee University as assistant professor in piano in 2021.
The program is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Guest House and student parking lots. For more information, contact Krista Hall during business hours at 812-357-6501. For updates on the day of the performance, call 812-357-6611.