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Chi Wei Lo has long captivated audiences with his dynamic presence on the stage, but his true legacy lies in his ability to inspire the future of classical music. As a concert pianist who values innovation, Lo has dedicated his career to performing contemporary works and bridging cultural gaps through music. On top of that he spotlights living composers and their ability to reflect the modern world. This state of mind has earned him recognition as a performer and a cultural ambassador constantly redefining classical music’s boundaries.
“Music is a reflection of who we are, and it should mirror the complexity and diversity of the world we live in today,” Chi Wei Lo says. “Through contemporary works, we can communicate something relevant to our time.”
Reimagining performances: a bold collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winner Tyshawn Sorey
Chi Wei Lo’s career is marked by his dedication to performing the works of living composers—artists reinventing the present soundscape. One attestation of this is his performance of Tyshawn Sorey’s Movement for Piano at Boston’s Jordan Hall on October 3rd, 2019. In a groundbreaking collaboration with 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey, Chi Wei Lo brought a new dimension to the concert stage. Just a day before their performance, Sorey requested bold changes—reshuffling musical sections, adding repeats, and even inviting Lo to improvise over the existing material. While these requests would challenge most classical pianists, Lo’s exceptional adaptability and improvisational skill enabled him to craft a performance that surpassed the written score.
The result was so extraordinary that Sorey commended Lo, saying that he has never heard his piece performed in such a brilliant manner. This remarkable synergy highlighted Lo’s ability to expand contemporary music’s expressive possibilities, deepening its resonance with audiences.
Lo’s repertoire frequently includes works that challenge traditional notions of classical music, exploring the intersections of Black American music, improvisation, and boundary-pushing concepts. This manifests in a residency at U.C. Davis in 2023, where alongside the PinkNoise ensemble, Lo performed 4 works by graduate students, as well as works by American composer Jessie Cox. Furthermore, his performances of contemporary music works by Chen Yi, Frederic Rzewski, Clara Iannotta, and Brigitta Muntendorf have earned him acclaim for his technical prowess and creative depth. Through this, he brings each composer’s unique vision to life with a compelling blend of precision and expression. His approach to music invites the audience to engage with the new and think differently about what music can be.
By actively seeking out new works and dedicating himself to their performance, Chi Wei Lo’s work is crucial in ensuring contemporary composers’ voices are heard on major stages across the U.S. and abroad. This is not merely an artistic choice; it is a conscious effort to expand the classical canon and reflect today’s world’s cultural and social contexts. “In performing these works,” Lo says, “I hope to show that classical music is not just something of the past—it is a living art form that speaks to our present.”
The sound of cultural exchange
Chi Wei Lo also uses his platform to foster cross-cultural understanding. By performing Asian music for American audiences and bringing American music to Asia, Lo has taken it upon himself to bridge diverse musical traditions. His concerts are often deemed as moments of cultural exchange that deepen mutual appreciation between Eastern and Western audiences.
A powerful example of this exchange occurred on January 6th 2022, when Lo performed his sold out concert at Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts and January 9th in the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei. In those concerts, he introduced Asian audiences to the works of American composers like Ornette Coleman, George Gerhwin, and William Bolcom. The musical compositions of these American giants are rarely performed in Taiwan, especially at Lo’s level of artistry. “Performing the works of these American composers for the Taiwanese audience was exciting and rewarding,” says Lo. “My concerts offered listeners a fresh perspective on American music and fostered a deeper cultural exchange through the universal language of music.” For Chi Wei Lo, these performances represent the power of music to create shared experiences across cultures.
“My goal is to promote understanding through music,” Lo notes. “Whether I am playing pieces by American composers in Taiwan or performing traditional Asian compositions in the U.S., I believe music can connect us beyond language and cultural barriers.”
In November 2022, Lo collaborated with Chinese suona master Ya-Zhi Guo in a concert celebrating the fusion of Eastern and Western traditions, featuring composers such as Ma Sicong, Chen Yi, and Hao-Fu Zhang alongside Western repertoire. Lo’s solo piano performance of Moonlight Over Spring River was described by one critic as spotlighting “his pianism, always alert and colorful, roaming the black keys of the instrument and attaining a loveliness and grandeur reminiscent of musicien français Claude Debussy, with his own aesthetic reaching beyond the West toward the East’s pentatonic musical alphabet.”
In recent years, these events have led to invitations for Lo to serve as a judge at the A. Ramón Rivera Piano Competition and the Lancaster International Piano Festival, where he has also appeared as a guest artist. Through these roles, Lo continues to advance his mission to inspire the next generation.
A legacy of inclusivity and innovation
Apart from performing, Chi Wei Lo has been actively involved in charitable efforts and cultural initiatives. One notable example was his 2018 “Declaration of Aesthetics” solo concert tour in Taiwan. Here, he collaborated with Kaohsiung Metro for their 10th Anniversary Charity Concert, performing to a packed audience at the iconic Dome of Light subway station. The event showcased his musical prowess and highlighted his commitment to giving back to the community through the arts.
In 2020, Lo co-founded the Psychopomp Ensemble with acclaimed pianist Xiaopei Xu to champion contemporary works and foster cultural exchange through piano music. His performances continue to inspire audiences worldwide, as he remains dedicated to expanding the reach of classical music and promoting inclusivity within the industry. Lo is not simply performing; he is proving that the true power of music lies in its ability to unite and resonate across boundaries.
