Wu Fei was born on May 12, 1977 in Beijing, China. She is a classically trained composer, a prominent master of the guzheng (21-string Chinese zither) and a vocalist.
She received her early music education at the China Conservatory of Music and earned her master’s at Mills College in Oakland, California before engaging herself in the New York downtown improvisation scene at venues like The Stone, where she has frequently performed and curated.
Wu has performed her music throughout the globe, appearing at prestigious venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Shanghai’s Expo 2010, New York’s MoMA, North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Vossa Jazz in Norway, the Europalia Festival in Belgium, and the Big Ears Festival in Tennessee.
Wu combines Western classical and Chinese traditions with a contemporary, distinctive sound. She composes for choir, string quartet, chamber ensemble, Balinese gamelan, and orchestra, and her many projects have ranged from a composition for Percussions Claviers de Lyon, which premiered in the Forbidden City Concert Hall, to live performances in Paris and Tokyo for luxury brand Hermès. She has received commissions from Nashville’s Intersection ensemble and individual soloists globally.
In addition to her original compositions, Wu has collaborated with numerous artists from different disciplines and musical genres, including Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn and Billy Martin (Medeski-Martin-Wood) as well as avant-garde composers John Zorn and Fred Frith.
Wu has appeared in concerts and workshops at numerous universities around the world, including Princeton University, UNC Chapel Hill, UC Irvine, Vanderbilt University, the China Conservatory of Music and the Norwegian Music Academy.
She has released two solo recordings and one collaborative album with classical guitarist Gyan Riley. Each of her recordings exhibits both her unique solo improvisational vocabulary and the craft of her compositions for chamber orchestras.
In 2007, Wu Fei released her debut solo album “A Distant Youth.” The record includes Fred Frith (guitar), Carla Kihlstedt (violin), and Helge Andreas Norbakken (percussion).
In October 2008, Wu Fei released a CD titled “Yuan-缘” produced by John Zorn for Tzadik Records. One major piece “She Huo-社火” included in this new album was premiered at the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing) with Percussions Claviers de Lyon in 2007.
In 2011, Wu Fei released a string duo album featuring Wu Fei on guzheng and vocals and Gyan Riley on guitar.
She also appeared as guest musician in various recordings, including various albums with Fred Frith: Eye to Ear I (2004), The Happy End Problem (2006), Eye to Ear II (2010), Eye to Ear III (2010), and Clearing Customs (2011); and Abigail Washburn’s City of Refuge (2011).
In 2020, Wu Fei released a duo album with American composer and celebrated banjo player Abigail Washburn.
Wu Fei currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Discography:
A Distant Youth (Forrest Hill Records, 2007)
Yuan (Tzadik Records, 2008)
Pluck (2011)
Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.