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Hekun Wu enjoys a versatile career as a concert
'cellist, conductor, and teacher. Praised widely for his "virtuosic
technique with thoughtful and poetic expressivity" (China
Times) and his interpretive insights that are "bold and
very full of conviction, unusually supple and beautiful"
(The Boston Globe), Mr. Wu has concertized in his native China,
U.S., Austria, France, Italy, Japan, and has been featured
on television and radio broadcasts in Paris, Shanghai, Boston,
Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Taipei. He has performed
with major orchestras in China including the China Central
Philharmonic and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, giving the
Chinese premieres of the Milhaud and Elgar 'cello concertos,
the latter recorded for the CRC label. He made his European
début in France with the Orchestre de Bordeaux under
Pierre Dervaux at the Ravel Festival, followed by a televised
solo performance in Paris; the legendary French 'cellist Maurice
Gendron wrote to congratulate him, "We saw you performing
on French Television, it was very beautiful, Bravo."
Mr. Wu has served as Principal 'Cellist of the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra on tour and recordings. His recent engagements have
taken him to such venues as Merkin Hall in New York, the Beijing
Concert Hall, Goethe-Institut of Boston, the Taipei National
Concert Hall, the Peabody Conservatory, the New England Conservatory,
and at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, where his Concerti Concert
was highly acclaimed. Upcoming performances include Penderecki's
Concerto for Three 'Cellos with the composer conducting as
well as guest conducting appearances with several orchestras
including the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. He is currently
the Music Director-Conductor of the Salem
Chamber Orchestra.
While increasingly in demand as a conductor, Mr. Wu is also
a well-respected teacher. He has held 'cello workshops and
masterclasses at numerous conservatories and universities
such as the New England Conservatory, Longy School, the Shanghai
Conservatory, and the Taipei National University of the Arts.
He has been on the faculties at Wellesley College, the University
of Delaware as 'cellist and conductor, and previously at the
Shanghai Conservatory where he was the youngest 'cello professor
appointed; his students have won major competitions. Born
and educated in Shanghai and later at the Paris Conservatoire,
he completed his graduate studies in the U.S. at Boston University
and the University of Minnesota. A recipient of both 'cello
and conducting fellowships from the Aspen Music Festival,
he studied with Zara Nelsova and David Zinman. Other major
influences are 'cellists Maurice Gendron, Paul Tortelier,
Tanya Remenikova, and Leslie Parnas.
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