March 7, 2010
Family Concert

"From Warsaw to Wide Mississippi"

Featuring
Stella Xu, Pianist

Program
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
Grofe Mississippi Suite

Return to 2009-10 Season

Chinese-American pianist Stella Xu began her piano studies at the age of five. She received early training from both the Primary and Middle Schools of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in China. At ten, she was a winner of the First Children's Piano Competition in Shanghai.

Since she came to the United States, Stella Xu has won more than a dozen prizes and awards. These include first prize in the Young Keyboard International Competition and International Stravinsky Awards Competition; the gold medal in the International Piano Recording Competition, England; the grand prize in the Bellini International Piano Competition, Italy; Best accompanist award in the Jean Sibelius international violin Competition, Finland; first place in the Illinois Young Performer's Concerto Competition and first place in the Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra's 29th Annual Young Artist solo competition. Stella Xu was also the winner of the 1990 Chicago Chopin Competition and the Grace Walsh Piano Competition. In 1989, she received the "Farewell Award" from Chicago Musician Club of Women, and in 1991 she received "The Most Promising Young Artist" Award from the Holland Music Academy. She holds the Ruth Ramis Music Scholarship, the Hennessy Cognac Performing Arts Scholarship in New York for Chinese-Americans, and the Frances Schuman and Vladimir Horowitz Scholarships from The Juilliard School.

After Stella Xu made her first major appearance at Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., she performed extensively in American recital halls such as the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie. Her premier European performance took place at Wigmore Hall in London and was followed by recitals throughout Europe, in cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, and Milan. Ms. Xu has been a featured artist on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in both Chicago and Los Angeles. She has performed live for radio and televi¬sion broadcasts in the United States, France and England, and her performances with major orchestras have been well received throughout North America and Europe. These include performances as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, BBC Welsh Philharmonic, Scottish Radio Symphony Orchestra, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Toronto Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared at the Ravinia Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, and Colorado Spring Music Festival.

Ms. Xu received all her music degrees with the highest distinction from the Juilliard School, where she studied piano with Herbert Stessin and received chamber music coaching from Felix Galimir. During her years at the Juilliard School, Stella Xu won three top prizes in the Juilliard Piano Concerto Competitions.

Stella Xu has also done extensive work as an educator. She gave master classes and lectures in England, France, Spain, Canada and Hong Kong, as well as cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston in the United States. Under her tutelage, students have placed in various state, national, and international piano competitions.