Artistic Advisors

The celebrated pianist Gary Graffman has been a major figure in the music world since winning the prestigious Leventritt Award in 1949.

For the next three decades he toured almost continuously, playing the most demanding works in the piano literature both in recital and with the world’s great orchestras. He also made a series of highly acclaimed recordings for Columbia (CBS) and RCA, including concertos by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Brahms, Chopin and Beethoven with the orchestras of New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and Boston, and with such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Eugene Ormandy and George Szell.

In 1979, however, Mr. Graffman’s performing career was curtailed by an injury to his right hand. His performances are now limited to the small but brilliant repertoire of concertos written for the left hand alone, most of them commissioned early in the century by Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I. In addition to the famous Ravel Concerto, these include major works by Prokofiev, Britten, Richard Strauss, Franz Schmidt and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Mr. Graffman played the North American premiere of the latter concerto, written in 1924, with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic in 1985 and has recorded the Strauss “Parergon” for Deutsche Grammophon with the Vienna Philharmonic led by André Previn.

The reduction in Mr. Graffman’s concert activity has provided him with a remarkable opportunity to expand his horizons beyond the stage. Most notable has been his leadership of the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He first joined its piano faculty in 1980 and became Director of the all-scholarship conservatory in 1986, following such illustrious predecessors as Josef Hofmann, Efrem Zimbalist and Rudolf Serkin. He was appointed President of The Curtis Institute in 1995, a position he served until May 2006.

Gary Graffman’s performing career was auspiciously linked to his academic life in 1993, when he joined conductor André Previn and the Symphony Orchestra of the Curtis Institute of Music for the world-premiere performances of Ned Rorem’s Piano Concerto No. 4 (for the Left Hand). Dedicated to Mr. Graffman by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer—who is also a Curtis alumnus and faculty member—the concerto was performed at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music and, a day later, at Carnegie Hall. A compact disc recording of the premiere is available on New World Records. He went on to perform this work with the San Francisco Symphony and Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra.

In April 1996 Mr. Graffman performed the world premiere of William Bolcom’s “Gaea” Concerto for Piano and Two Left Hands with his friend and colleague Leon Fleisher. The work, commissioned jointly by the Baltimore, St. Louis and Pacific symphonies, was given its premiere by the two soloists and David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony, first in Baltimore and then at Carnegie Hall. It was subsequently heard with the Saint Louis and Pacific symphonies and, in November 1998, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, again with David Zinman conducting.

In continuing his championing of new works for piano left hand and orchestra, in 2001-02 Mr. Graffman gave world premiere performances of three concertos, all of which were written for him: Daron Hagen’s “Seven Last Words” with the New Mexico Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic; Richard Danielpour’s “Zodiac” Variations with the National Symphony in Washington, D.C.; and Luis Prado’s Concerto for Left Hand with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. In March 2003 he premiered another concerto written for him, this one by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, with the Minnesota Orchestra. This work was recorded by Reference Recordings.

In the summer of 2005, Gary Graffman received an invitation to head the piano department at the new Canton International Summer Music Academy in Guangdong, China, giving him an opportunity to explore his love of education, chamber music, and Chinese culture. He has also participated in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest and the 10th Anniversary of Morningside Music Bridge held in Shanghai.

Gary Graffman is the author of the highly praised memoir, “I Really Should Be Practicing,” published by Doubleday in 1981 and issued in paperback by Avon the following year. In 2011, a Chinese translation was released in Taiwan. He has also written popular articles on non-musical subjects and found time to pursue a scholarly interest in Asian Art (which he collects) and photography. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Pennsylvania and The Juilliard School, among others. He has received honors from the City of New York with its Handel Medallion, the City of Philadelphia on its Walk of Fame, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award, recognizing him for his varied accomplishments, including his “leadership of Curtis.”

Gary Graffman was born in New York, of Russian parents, and began to play the piano at age three. His father, a violinist, gave him a small fiddle, but when the instrument proved too cumbersome, he began piano lessons, though a return to the violin was planned. The young Graffman’s affinity for the piano soon became evident, however, and at seven the Curtis Institute accepted him to study with the renowned Isabelle Vengerova—exactly 50 years before he would become the school’s director, a position he held through May 2006. After graduation from Curtis, he worked intensively for several years with Vladimir Horowitz and, during the summers, at the Marlboro Music Festival with Rudolf Serkin.

Yoheved Kaplinsky is currently the chair of the piano department of the Juilliard School, as well as the Artistic Director of its Pre-College Division.

One of the most sought after pedagogues in the music world today, she is active as a guest lecturer and a performer in various festivals and universities. Formerly a member of the Peabody Conservatory and the Manhattan School, she also serves as guest faculty at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, she is a member of the Aspen Music Festival and School faculty, and an honorary professor at the Shanghai Conservatory and the China Conservatory.

A native of Israel, she earned her BS, MM and DMA degrees from Juilliard, as a student of Irwin Freundlich, and continued her studies with Dorothy Taubman. A prize winner in the JS Bach competition in Washington DC, she has performed with orchestras, in recitals and in chamber music series in various cities in the States and in Israel. A former faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music, she is noted for her insight into piano technique, and is in demands for lectures and workshops throughout the world.

She has appeared on various documentaries on Television, and has given master classes in the US, Israel, Europe and Asia. A regular member of the Aspen Music Festival and School, she is also a frequent visitor to various festivals, including Orford in Canada, Piano Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, Philomusica in Oxford University, the Mozarteum in Salzburg among others.

Kaplinsky is also a frequent adjudicator in international competitions, including the Cliburn, Rubinstein, Cleveland, Dublin, Tchaikovsky, and Montreal among others. A two-time recipient of the Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award, her students have been winners of numerous international competitions and serve on the faculty of many music institutions.

As an advisor to Lang Lang Music World in Shenzhen, China, from its inception, Vanessa has always demonstrated a passion for supporting young musicians worldwide.

A renowned piano pedagogue, with many international competition prize-winners amongst her students, Vanessa has been Head of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music since 2005. Awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music in 2010 for outstanding services to music, an honour conferred on her by HRH Prince of Wales, in September 2011, she was granted a Personal Chair at the RCM, which gave her the title of Chair of International Keyboard Studies. As an extension to her keyboard faculty work, Vanessa was appointed as the Associate Director for Partnerships in Asia, which involves managing the RCM’s collaborative work in China and the RCM’s degree programmes at Nangyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore. Vanessa was previously a professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music for 14 years, where she was made an Honorary Associate in 1997.

After studying at the Royal College of Music with Kendall Taylor and completing her training in the USA and Paris with Claude Franck and Vlado Perlemuter, Vanessa was awarded many scholarships and prizes from international piano competitions. Her concert career has taken her to Europe, the USA and the Far East, as well as many festivals within the UK. Vanessa’s interest in Bach led to a performance of the complete 48 Preludes and Fugues at the Lichfield International Festival in 1992, the performances being given over four consecutive evenings. She has performed as a soloist with international orchestras and those in the UK including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, working with many leading conductors. She is a Steinway Artist and has broadcast for over 30 years for BBC Radio 3 and has also broadcast extensively on the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4. To celebrate Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday in 2018, Vanessa appeared on BBC 2’s documentary on the Queen, Prince Albert and Felix Mendelssohn with Lucy Worsley, which was filmed in Buckingham Palace.

Vanessa is Artistic Director of Hastings International Piano in which capacity she chairs the jury for HIPCC and oversees the artistic programme for HIP concerts. She has been a juror and jury chair for numerous international competitions in China, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Italy, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, and Hong Kong and has adjudicated the national keyboard final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year. In 2007 she was an advisor to the BBC TV programme ‘Classical Star’.
Vanessa frequently travels to give masterclasses, to such institutions as Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Beijing Central Conservatory, Tokyo College of Music, Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, Seoul National University, Piano Texas, Oxford Piano Festival, as well as to other UK conservatoires and specialist music schools, and international summer schools.

Representing the professoriate, Vanessa has served four terms of office on the Council, the RCM’s Governing body. As a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, in January 2023 she was elected to the WCoM Court as a Court Assistant. She is a member of the editorial board of Classical Music Magazine, and Director of the Eileen Rowe Musical Trust. She has contributed to the RCM’s publication, Inside the Conservatoire, to be published in 2023.

Born and raised in Foggia, Italy, Antonio Pompa-Baldi won the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 1999 and embarked on a multifaceted career that continues to extend across five continents.

A top prize winner at the 1998 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition of Paris, France, Pompa-Baldi won a silver medal at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Mr. Pompa-Baldi appears at the world’s major concert venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Cleveland’s Severance Hall, Milan’s Sala Verdi, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Shanghai’s Grand Theatre, and Paris’ Salle Pleyel, to name a few. He has collaborated with leading conductors including Hans Graf, James Conlon, Miguel Harth- Bedoya, Theodore Kuchar, Benjamin Zander, Louis Lane, and Keith Lockhart. He has performed with colleagues such as Takacs String Quartet, Alison Balsom, Sharon Robinson, and principals of the Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Juilliard Quartet, among others. Pompa Baldi has recorded over 30 CDs to date, for various labels including Centaur Records, Harmonia Mundi, Steinway, TwoPianists, Azica, and Brilliant Classics. Antonio Pompa-Baldi is a Steinway Artist since 2003.

He is often invited to judge international piano competitions such as the Cleveland, Hilton Head, E-Competition (Minneapolis), BNDES Rio de Janeiro, and Edward Grieg (Bergen), among others. He serves as president of the jury and artistic advisor for the San Jose International Piano Competition since 2006. Pompa-Baldi is on the Piano Faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

He was named Vice Director for Education at Lang lang Art World-Hangzhou, China in 2023. In 2015, Pompa-Baldi founded the Todi International Music Masters festival, of which he is also Artistic Director and Faculty Member. This summer festival takes place every August in the beautiful Italian town of Todi. It features internationally renowned faculty members, and students from all over the world.

Danwen Wei, a native of the People’s Republic of China, is hailed as one of the most outstanding musicians of his generation.

His commanding technique and artistic temperament have resulted in his appearances as soloist with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the New York Chamber Symphony, the Augusta Symphony, symphony of the Americas, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Shanghai Symphony, the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra, the National Orchestra of China and the Singapore Symphony among many others. His performance with the New York Philharmonic was broadcast on PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center” series.

A Steinway Artist, Mr. Wei has performed in cities throughout the United States as well as in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Mr. Wei has performed in festivals such as the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Mostly Mozart festival in New York, the Beijing Music Festival, and the “Tuscan Sun Festival” in Cortona, Italy. His two solo albums were released on 3D Classic label, and a concerto performance was released by China Record Company.

In recent years, Mr. Wei is expanding into the area of conducting as well. He has conducted Soloisti di Perigia, Badapest Youth Symphony, The Oshdot Symphony of Israel, University of Alicante Symphony,and Shenyang Youth Symphony, and the Master’s Chamber Orchestra of Central Conservaory of China among others. He has been a principal conductor of Music Fest Perugia in Italy since 2013

A graduate of the Juilliard School and one of the last pupils of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, Mr. Wei is now a much sought after teacher in China and a frequent adjudicator in both national and international piano competitions. He has been invited to give lectures and master classes both in China and abroad. Mr. Wei’s students have won top prizes in many competitions, and he is a faculty member of many summer festivals including Musicfest Perugia in Perugia, Italy, and Beijing Music festival and Academy. Currently Mr. Wei is on the faculty of the Central Conservatory of China in Beijing, and became chairman of piano department in 2019.

Steinway Artist, Dr. Alvin Zhu has performed Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Gershwin, and Rachmaninoff concertos with orchestras around the world, appearing at Alice Tully Hall, Sydney Opera House, Beijing Concert Hall, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Tianjin Grand Theater, Palais du Congress, Stadio Olimpico, and the Amphitheater in Chautauqua.

He has recorded for NPR’s “From the Top” as a featured Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, Pittsburgh’s WQED radio, Beijing Youth Radio, and Steinway’s SPIRIO player-piano catalog. Zhu holds top prizes in international and national competitions including the West Virginia, Patrick Price, and Pittsburgh Young Artist International Competitions. As a juror, he has been on the panel of the 2021 Lang Lang International Music Festival in Ningbo and Shenzhen, 2021 Franz Liszt Youth, 2021 Paderewski, 2021 Paris Vivace, 2020 Singapore, and the 2018 Steinway International Piano Competitions. Zhu currently holds the position of Artistic Director of the International Piano Professionals Association’s (IPPA) China Division and honorary positions as Overseas Artistic Consultant for both the Global Outstanding Chinese Artists Association (GOCAA) and the Suzhou Qiaolian Arts Ensemble.

He has given masterclasses at universities including Yale, Soochow, Texas State, Brigham Young, and Weber State; conservatories including Wuhan, Sichuan, Xinghai, Liu Shikun Arts School; and musical organizations including Steinway Beijing and Shanghai, Tianjin Grand Theater, and Lang Lang Music World in Hangzhou and Shenzhen. As an educator and scholar, Zhu is a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and has researched the musical contributions of his paternal grandfather Gong Yi Zhu, a master piano pedagogue whose influence in China is still widely felt today. He has been a guest lecturer at the United States Embassy in Beijing, The Juilliard School in New York, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and Soochow University in Taiwan.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhu produced a musical tribute entitled “Project Mompou” for healthcare and essential workers around the world. The video project features Zhu and five of his Tianjin Juilliard Pre-College students performing Spanish composer Federico Mompou’s poignant “Impresiones Íntimas.”

Zhu started piano and violin lessons at age four. Zhu holds BM, MM, and DMA degrees in piano performance from the Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin.