Alexander A. Wu, Yamaha Piano Artist

Artist Information

Biography

About the Artist

Pianist, ALEXANDER A. WU recently joined the elite roster of Yamaha Performing Artists; from classical and jazz pianists Abbey Simon, Olga Kern, Frederic Chiu, Hank Jones, and Dr. John to pop artists Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Alicia Keys, and Nora Jones. In addition, he has been invited to perform and to inaugurate Yamaha’s AvantGrand Hybrid and the CFX Concert Grand Pianos. The Wall Street Journal hails “Wu's combination in capturing the soul of many music styles, along with an innate technique, has all the right ingredients for an exciting concert.”

His debut solo CD Rhythm Road across the Americas was recently released at Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Triangle in New York City and previewed at Lincoln Center and, is now available on cdbaby.com and itunes.com. It rediscovers and traces the music of North and South America through early American music, Jazz and Latin American classics. Other recent CD recordings by Wu are the All4One Piano Duo: Classical and Jazz music of the Americas with jazz pianist Frank Ponzio and his group ZigZag Quartet, a crossover jazz chamber ensemble which plays a mix of classical, Latin, jazz, contemporary, world beat and new works written for the group.

Wu has given numerous concerts, master classes and workshops on both coasts with recent performances in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, David Rubenstein Atrium, Walter Reade Theater and Stanley Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall at Steinway & sons, Merkin Concert Hall, Bargemusic, The Great Hall at Cooper Union, Mannes College Auditorium, City College and Brooklyn College of C.U.N.Y., New Jersey City University, Hofstra University, Trinity Church Wall Street, Bryant Park, Florida Atlantic University, Musikfest (PA) and Harmony Hall Regional Center (MD). He has also appeared on the international stages as both a soloist with orchestras, and a chamber player that includes St. Martin in the Fields Church (London) and Academia di Chigiana (Siena). In 2009, he performed and conducted a series of recitals and master classes of Spanish and Latin American music by invitation from the Spanish Embassy in Paraguay, South America. And, in 2007 and 2008 he was a guest artist and a faculty member of the Interpretation of Spanish Song Festival, in Granada, Spain and at the Mannes College of Music-The New School in New York City, where he performed at the Hotel del Agua, Hotel del Ornia and Auditorio del Conservatorio Victoria Superior in Granada and at the Mannes College Auditorium.

Mr. Wu’s live performances and interviews have been featured on radio with WADO/Univision, WXEL, NPR, WUSF, WKCR and on KABC, KCBS and Taiwan television. His concerts have been sponsored by Lincoln Center, Starbucks Coffee, Target, Artists International, the New York State Council of the Arts, Yamaha Corporation of America & Europe, Florida Atlantic University and Project Cancion Espanola. His music direction and arrangements for the new play production, “Closer” opened in September at the New York Film Academy.

A California native, Mr. Wu resides and teaches privately in Manhattan and he has served on the faculty of the City College at the City University of New York and as Artist in Residence at the Black Bear Conservatory of Music in northeastern Pennsylvania.

For more information the artist and his solo and ensemble programs please visit www.alexanderawu.com

Instrumentation

Discography

1. Piano Solo: Rhythm Road across the Americas (2011)

2. All4One Piano Duo: Classical and Jazz Music
of the Americas (2010)

3. ZigZag Quartet (self titled)

4. Classic Americana with Soprano and Piano (Demo)

5. Piano Solo: Bach to the Future: Classical & Jazz Piano
(Fall 2012)

6. ZigZag Quartet Voume II (Summer 2013)

7. All4One Piano Duo: Holiday & Winter Classics (2013)

8. Music from the Dominican Republic:
The complete piano works of Rafael Landestoy (2013)

Official Website

http://www.alexanderawu.com/

Links

• SonicBids: ZigZag Quartet EPK
• Youtube: All4One Piano Duo at Steinway Hall, NYC
• Youtube: Isaac Albeniz concert, St. Peter's Church

Audio

• A New Hiding Place
  Listen  
• Prelude in B flat
  Listen  
• Embraceable You
  Listen  
• Fascinatin' Rhythm
  Listen  
• Tango no.2
  Listen  
• Carnavalesca
  Listen  
• Garota de Ipanema
  Listen  
• Hogtown Blues
  Listen  
• March Past
  Listen  
• Blue Rondo a la Turk
  Listen  

Video

Trailer Classical Latin Jazz.avi

Fascinatin Rythm.avi

Photo Gallery

Press

• Acclaimed New York City Pianist Alexander A. Wu becomes a 2010 Yamaha Artist [+ Show ]
  

  Known Performer Records First Solo CD on C7 Grand Yamaha Artist Alexander A. Wu NEW YORK CITY ...Known Performer Records First Solo CD on C7 Grand
  
  Yamaha Artist Alexander A. Wu
  NEW YORK CITY —Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. (YASI) is pleased to announce that Alexander A. Wu has joined its Classical Artist roster. Wu, a California native who now makes his home in Manhattan, has performed on the international stages as both a soloist with orchestras and a chamber player with renowned artists in the classical, Latin and jazz worlds. The Wall Street Journal writes, "Mr. Wu has all the right ingredients for an exciting performance!" Wu joins an expanding roster of classical piano artists, which includes such greats as Abbey Simon, Frederic Chiu, Oxana Yablonskaya, Olga Kern and Maria João Pires.
  
  
  

• "Mr. Wu has all the right ingredients for an exciting and unforgettable performance."
  

  Mr. Wu has all the right ingredients for an exciting and unforgettable experience

Setlist

Piano Solo Program Series

I Rhythm Road across the Americas (Set list below)
II. Bach to the Future: Classical & Jazz Piano
III. Piano All Gershwin: A Double Life
IV. Olé! Music from Spain and Latin America

Alexander A. Wu has established himself as an eclectic performer, equally at home in both the classical and jazz worlds, and performs a wide-ranging repertoire of the last three centuries. As with his Rhythm Road across the Americas program, Wu’s variety of solo program performances, with narratives, appeal to a broad based audience of all ages and cultures with classical, jazz, Latin, dance, contemporary, world beat traditions and popular music.

Rhythm Road across the Americas: Alexander A. Wu, piano

I. A New Hiding Place, From the Southland 3:03
HarryT.Burleigh (18661949)
Juba from In the Bottoms 2:07
R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)

II. Three "Melting Pot" Preludes
George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Prelude in B flat 1:32
Blue Lullaby 2:52
Spanish Prelude 1:19

III. Tango no. 2 from Tango Suite 4:08
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

IV. Three styles from Brasil

Negaceando (Choro) 2:42
Radames Gnattali (1906-1988)

Dansa Negra 3:30
Camargo M. Guarnieiri (1907-1993)

Garota de Ipanema 2:20
Antonio C. Jobim (1927-1994) arr. Frank Ponzio

V. Blue Rondo a la Turk 4:08
Dave Brubeck (b.1920)

VI. Selections from Canadiana Suite
Oscar Peterson (1925-2007)

Laurentide Waltz 2:47
Hogtown Blues 2:29
March Past 1:49

VII. Selections from the Domincan Republic
Rafael Landestoy (b. 1925)

Danza Loca 1:46
Mini Vals 2:50
Carnavalesca 1:33

VIII. Two Etudes based on George Gershwin Songs
Arr. by Earl Wild (1915-2010)

Embraceable You 2:47
Fascinatin' Rhythm 1:53

Basic Requirements

Calendar