Acclaimed Vancouver pianist David Fung launches Inspired at the Chan

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts presents Inspired at the Chan: Pianist David Fung on October 2 at 3 pm at the Chan Centre

by Gail Johnson
September 7, 2022

PIANST DAVID FUNG spent the summer performing at events such as South Korea’s Yeosu International Music Festival and the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival. The Steinway Artist is a newly appointed assistant professor of piano at UBC. And the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts has announced that the acclaimed musician will launch Inspired at the Chan, a new family-friendly concert series.

Formerly known as Music on the Point, the programming will include four one-hour concerts that include audience engagement or participation.

Having played prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall to Palais des Beaux-Arts, Fung has also performed with revered organizations like Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Melbourne Symphony. The curator of the Spirio Piano Series at the Chan Centre, he has issued several albums. The Whole Note praised his most recent release, Transcendent Beethoven, for its “strong command of phrasing and rhythmic impetus”. Fung counts Yuja Wang among his close collaborators and friends.

For his debut Chan Centre performance, Fung will perform a mixed program with compositions by Domenico Scarlatti, Franz Schubert, and Maurice Ravel alongside contemporary works by Missy Mazzoli and Nico Muhly. The throughline consists of drama and lyricism.

The concert will have no intermission and will feature a post-show Q&A, moderated by Pat Carrabré, director of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and the UBC School of Music.

“David’s performances are full of colour, technical brilliance, sensitivity, and virtuosity,” Carrabré says in a release. “But beyond his capabilities as a pianist, David is a warm and enthusiastic speaker. He is engaging both on and off the piano, which is why he is exactly the right artist to inaugurate this new series.”

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David Fung announced for Bridgehampton 2022 season lineup

Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival 2022 announces David Fung in their season lineup

by Chloe Rabinowitz
May 13, 2022

This summer's Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival will presents 11 concerts from July 24 to August 21 - approaching its pre-pandemic scope. The 11 distinct programs in the 39th season of Long Island's longest-running classical music festival highlight interconnections in music: works by contemporary composers Caroline Shaw, William Bolcom, and Lowell Liebermann inspired by Haydn and Bach; a Ghanaian dance-inspired work by Derek Bermel; and Tzigane-inspired ("Hungarian Gypsy") works by Valerie Coleman and Johannes Brahms, to name a few examples. Throughout the festival, the music of 12 living composers combines with works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, Mozart, and Schumann to spotlight musical intersections of time and place.

"Now more than ever, our lives are interconnected," said Bridgehampton Chamber Music Artistic Director Marya Martin, "and music is a space for connection, understanding, and sharing of ideas and values. For this summer's festival, we have built programs of wonderfully rich music that embrace the melding of the here and there and then and now."

As always, the festival's roster of artists comprises one of the best multi-generational groups of chamber musicians to be found anywhere. Led by flutist and festival founder Marya Martin, this summer's BCM musicians are James Austin Smith, oboe; Bixby Kennedy, clarinet; Stewart Rose, horn; Ben Beilman, Stella Chen, Chad Hoopes*, Ani Kavafian, Kristin Lee, Tessa Lark, Anthony Marwood, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Ettore Causa, Matthew Lipman, Melissa Reardon, and Cong Wu, viola; Nick Canellakis, Leland Ko*, Mihai Marica, David Requiro, and Peter Stumpf, cello; Donald Palma, bass; Michael Brown, Zoltán Fejérvári*, David Fung, Gilles Vonsattel, Ying Li*, and Zhu Wang*, piano; Frank Vignola*, guitar; Alan Alda, narrator; and the ensemble Sandbox Percussion*. (Those marked with an asterisk are making their BCM debuts.)

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Read the Chan Centre's Q & A with David Fung

Q & A with Dr. David Fung

Learn about David Fung, a new curator for the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

The UBC School of Music is pleased to welcome Dr. David Fung, who is joining the faculty as Assistant Professor of Piano beginning January 1, 2022. We caught up with Dr. Fung to discuss his background, what excites him most about joining UBC, and that time he had to step in with the Israel Symphony unrehearsed on a moment’s notice.

Chan Centre: Hi David!  What are you most excited about as a new faculty member at UBC?

Dr. David Fung: My “visits” to campus so far have been virtual due to the pandemic. I’m most excited to meet the faculty and students face-to-face as well as explore the campus in person. In particular, I’d like to visit the Museum of Anthropology, see the Musqueam Post in all its glory, and experience the architecture on campus, new and old.

CC: What are you most passionate about as a pianist and educator?

DF: It’s extremely rewarding to see my students grow and help them realize their goals. I’m passionate about inspiring students to search for the beauty in the details and to convey that to the listener on their instrument.

CC: Who are your favourite composers, and what are your favourite works to perform and why?

DF: This might be the most frequently asked question in interviews and by audience members, and it’s probably the most difficult to answer because there’s so much good music! I’m most drawn to music which elucidates aspects of humanity that aren’t easily expressed in words. A few composers I keep returning to are Mozart, Schubert, and Rachmaninov, and I’ve enjoyed exploring works of Grazyna Bacewicz and Florence Price this past year.

"I'm passionate about inspiring students to search for the beauty in the details and to convey that to the listener on their instrument."

Dr. David Fung

CC: What are some of the most memorable concerts you’ve ever performed?

DF: In 2014, I was invited to perform at the opening gala of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition in Tel Aviv alongside former winners, Roman Rabinovich and Daniil Trifonov. The night before I was due to perform the gala, I was asked to replace an indisposed Robert Levin with the Israel Symphony in Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos on one hour’s notice and no rehearsals. I’d never performed the piece and agreed to sight-read the work. You know the nightmare where you walk on stage having prepared Concerto X, but the orchestra begins playing Concerto Y? This was that nightmare! 😱

CC: Can you tell us about your musical journey and how you became a concert pianist and professor?

DF: I’ll answer this question by sharing a few fun facts about myself:

1. I began my musical journey on the violin at age 5.

2. I started a dual degree in medicine and arts at the University of New South Wales (Sydney) before transferring to the Colburn Conservatory (Los Angeles).

3. I have six tertiary degrees in music. Some might say that’s six too many! 🙃

4. I was inspired to be a teacher in my teens after masterclasses with András Schiff and Leon Fleisher. 

CC: What do you like to spend your time doing outside of piano performance?

DF: I enjoy spending time with my goldendoodle, Cooper. He is a walking ball of fluff and brings me joy every day! I’m passionate about art, objects, and design, and in my spare time, I like frequenting museums and collecting. I mentioned in a previous interview that I’m looking forward to eating my way through Vancouver and exploring its mountains and natural beauty, and these still remain at the top of my list of things to do!

CC: Any new projects in the works that you’re looking forward to?

DF: I have commissions by Samuel Carl Adams, Krists Auznieks, and JP Jofre in the works, and I’m looking forward to performing and recording these pieces in upcoming seasons. I’m particularly excited to be curating the new Steinway Spirio Piano Series at the Chan Centre which launches in spring 2022, especially having previously recorded on Steinway Spirio technology.

CC: What advice do you have for students pursuing a music career?

DF: Be curious: Learn as much as you can about the music you are playing, and immerse yourself in its details. Be curious about the world around you, especially in the field of humanities. When I was in school, I attended every concert I physically could, and those sound waves are still in my DNA. This includes concerts by my classmates from which I learned volumes.

Be kind to yourself: A career in music is a marathon! It takes a lot of no’s to get to a yes. Find joy and fulfillment in the process of creating, rather than in the performance itself. This is what keeps me coming back to the piano, since I always wish my performances could have gone better! Being kind to yourself also means being kind and gracious to others.

Be flexible: It’s important for young musicians to give themselves the permission to be flexible in their goals and to reevaluate them often. The beautiful thing about music is that it is incredibly diverse, and there are infinite ways of creating and communicating art. There isn’t one path to success, and we are in charge of defining what success is for us.

READ THE INTERVIEW

Tchaikovsky Concerto performances in the Bay Area

San Francisco Chronicle: Datebook

By Joshua Kosmin

For Beethoven’s Seventh, famously described by Richard Wagner as “the apotheosis of the dance,” Music Director Marc Taddei has programmed “Rissolty Rossolty,” Ruth Crawford Seeger’s ebullient orchestral treatment of American folk tunes. That is supplemented by “Music for Small Orchestra,” another selection from Crawford Seeger’s brilliant and far too small compositional catalog, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with the acclaimed pianist David Fung as soloist.

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David's New Beethoven Album Available on Steinway and Sons

A new addition to Steinway & Sons' Beethoven 250th birthday celebration series is a recording of his Op. 126 Bagatelles and the penultimate sonata No. 31 with pianist David Fung. 

THE ALBUM IS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE THROUGH ALL DOWNLOAD AND STREAMING SERVICES.

Transcendent Beethoven is Mr. Fung's second release on the Steinway and Sons label. In July 2019, the Steinway and Sons released Mr. Fung’s first installment of the complete Mozart sonatas, which have been called “undeniably bold” (AllMusic Guide). Boston’s WCRB praised selections of the album as “heartbreaking”, adding that “Fung relishes the art of exploring Mozart’s characters – giving them freedom to breathe, and casting them in darkness and light to help reveal their humanity.” Mr. Fung can also be heard on the Naxos, Pentatone, Orchid, Genuin, and Yarlung record labels. 

ABOUT STEINWAY & SONS LABEL

The STEINWAY & SONS music label produces exceptional albums of solo piano music across all genres. The label — a division of STEINWAY & SONS, maker of the world’s finest pianos — is a perfect vessel for producing the finest quality recordings by some of the most talented pianists in the world.

LEARN MORE HERE

David Fung performs Esmail World Premiere

The Violin Channel

Violinist Kristin Lee, cellist Joshua Roman and pianist David Fung performing the world premiere performance of American pianist and composer Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio.

Recorded live on the 25th of November, 2019 – at Town Hall in Seattle, United States.

"I've been wanting to write a piano trio since I was a teenager. When I was 17, I won a competition as a pianist, and the prize was to give a performance of the Mendelssohn's C Minor Piano Trio with two members of the LA Phil ... I took the experience with me throughout my musical life - waiting for a moment where I could finally take on the incredible challenge of writing a multi-movement piano trio myself ..." Reena has this week told the Violin Channel.

"Joshua approached me to write a work for his Town Music Seattle series and I knew immediately that this was my chance to write this trio ... my musical world is influenced as much by the Western canon as it is by Hindustani (North Indian) classical music and each movement of this trio is a confluence of Hindustani and Western musical elements ..." she has said.

"Imagine if you could say a single sentence, but it could be understood simultaneously in two different languages - that is what I aim to create through my music."

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Mozart Album Review in EarRelevant

CD Review: Pianist David Fung shows individualism in Mozart album

By Melinda Bargreen 
March 5, 2020

David Fung, “Mozart Piano Sonatas” (No. 2 in F Major, K280, No .4 in E-flat, K282, No. 5 in G Major, K283 and No. 17 in B-flat, K570.); Steinway & Sons 30107.

If there is a standard path toward piano stardom, David Fung has assuredly not taken it. Growing up in Australia, this musically gifted youngster began violin studies at 5 and piano studies at 8, before deciding to become a doctor. After two years of medical studies, he became the first piano graduate of the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, and then went on to Yale University and the Hannover Hochschule für Musik.

At 22 Fung entered the world of international piano competitions, where he won prizes at both the Queen Elisabeth and Arthur Rubinstein Competitions. (In the latter competition, Fung also was awarded the Chamber Music Prize and the Mozart Prize; the latter is an indication of the gifts he brings to the recording under discussion here.)

Fung’s new Mozart-sonata disc illustrates his individualism in several ways. First is the choice of repertoire: not the “usual subjects” chosen by pianists eager to make a splash, but instead, four sonatas whose charms are not always so obvious on the surface. Fung has chosen No. 5 in G Major (K.283); No. 4 in E-flat Major (K.282); No. 2 in F Major (K.280); and No. 17 in B-flat Major (K.570). These performances of three early sonatas and a later one will reward close and attentive listening, for the quantity and quality of details (some of them daring) that Fung lavishes on each movement.

Take the exuberant Allegro of K.283 (G Major), for instance: the first-movement repeat is different, a little more hesitant and then more boisterous, as if rethinking the first way. There’s lots of variety in Fung’s touch, with lines that sometime seem a little questing, and then a well-judged pause. A repeated theme sounds decidedly jauntier or more assertive than the first time around; there are slight hesitations here and there, but nothing feels manipulated or overly studied. While the performances feel spontaneous, it is evident that a great deal of thought has gone into every line of the music.

The playing, in short, is consistently interesting. Fung has more colors in his musical palette than many Mozarteans can command. The right-hand phrasing is especially eloquent, and his tempi are often quite elastic: surprising the ear by stretching the line just a little here and there in a manner that never seems exaggerated or unnatural. Fung draws a lot of drama from his instrument: silky, dulcet melodic lines become more assertive, even a little edgy, later on.

This also is a pianist who also can let go and have fun, as in the Presto finale of the K.283: the movement has an exuberant gaiety, with stormy passages giving way to playing that sounds good-humored. He can surprise listeners with the occasional “Wait for it!” pause when you’re not expecting one (as in, for instance, the Presto movement of K.280/No. 2). In short: it’s not “Mozart as usual.”

Each of the sonatas has a distinctly different character. The K.282 in E-Flat (No. 4) has an opening Adagio that is serenely contemplative, leisurely, and spacious, with lyrical melodies and a lot of clarity; the sustaining pedal is applied sparingly if at all. There are eloquent little spaces in a reading that is unhurried and explorative.

And, on the other side of the coin, then there’s the K.570 (No. 17) in B-Flat Major. It’s a study in the adroit building and subsiding of dynamics, and limpidly graceful melodies. The third movement – the last track on this recording – leaves the listener with Mozart at his most playful (occasionally rambunctious), and the lively good humor of this interpretation.  

Melinda Bargreen is a Seattle-based composer and music journalist who has been writing for the Seattle Times and other publications for four decades. Her 2015 book, Classical Seattle is published by University of Washington Press. Her 50 Years of Seattle Opera was published by Marquand Books in 2014.

Review of Mozart Album in The Whole Note

Mozart Piano Sonatas

David Fung
Steinway & Sons 30107

By Adam Sherkin

Steinway artist David Fung offers four lesser-known piano sonatas on his new album: the Piano Sonatas No.2 in F Major, K280, No.4 in E-flat, K282, No.5 in G Major, K283 and No.17 in B-flat, K570. Upon first hearing, Fung’s vision of Mozart’s keyboard music is immediately apparent. The (scant) liner notes make much of Fung’s musical upbringing and exposure to the opera – the Mozartian operatic stage in particular – but these references seem status quo and rather obvious in analogy; the comparisons do not quite do justice to Fung’s interpretive approach.

His is a unique and bold reading. Often, contemporaneous interpreters attempt to subdue their own (romantic) leanings, fearing to obscure the ideals of neoclassicalism as manifested in the music of W.A. Mozart. Fung, however, has no such qualms. He portrays a pianistic tableau of striking contrasts, unusual voicings and wanton manipulation of the dimension of time.

Employing a declamatory style, Fung directs the musical action from his keyboard with a strong command of phrasing and rhythmic impetus. He goes far beyond the customary approach to pulsation and accompaniment figures, in search of an inner energy of syncopated beats and subtle ostinati.

Upon repetition of A and B sections, Fung offers fresh takes on voicings that surprise the listener, challenging established conceptions of such material. By far his boldest strokes come in the form of timescale bending: the stretching out of rests, fermati and cadences, as he pushes values to the limit of neoclassical good taste. The resultant effect is generally pleasurable but does, on occasion, turn to parody. Notwithstanding, variety is the spice of life and let’s applaud Fung’s triumph in delivering his singular vision.

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New Videos of Bach Concertos Released!

Bach Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV 1058

David Fung with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.