Pianist Charlotte Hu Announces New Name and New Album 'Liszt: Metamorphosis'

Pianist Charlotte Hu (formerly known as Ching-Yun Hu) will release her next album, Liszt: Metamorphosis, on July 19, 2024 – it will be her debut album for PENTATONE.

On it, Charlotte explores Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt's chameleonic and evolving approach to composing – the metamorphosis of his music spanning from his early works inspired by Beethoven to the abstract tonality of his later works, as well as his incredible ability to transcribe and transform the music of other composers he admired.

Liszt: Metamorphosis includes Liszt's Les jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este (The Fountains of the Villa d'Este) from 1877; his Lieder Transcriptions of art songs by Schumann and Schubert from 1838 and 1848; Three Concert Études from 1845-49; and Rhapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody) from 1858.

Charlotte Hu will celebrate the release of the album with a performance of the program on July 27, 2024 at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, PA for Opening Night of the PYPA Piano Festival (tickets and information).

Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu has been praised by audiences and critics across the globe for her dazzling virtuosity, captivating musicianship, and magnetic stage presence. As a soloist, she has astounded audiences across the U.S., Europe, and  Asia, performing sold-out concerts at many of the world's most prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Osaka's Symphony Hall. She is a frequent guest at music festivals, such as the Aspen Music Festival, Ruhr-Klavier Festival, Oregon Bach Festival. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic, among others.

At the heart of her success is a story of strength, dedication, and resilience that has powered her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Moving to the United States from Taiwan at age 14 without her parents to begin studies at The Juilliard School was the first of many challenges Charlotte overcame in building her illustrious career – one that has included winning top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, performing on classical music's biggest stages, and fostering the next generation of musicians as an advocate for classical music through entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives.

Today, in addition to her prolific performing career, Charlotte is the founder of two piano festivals across two continents: the Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. Now in its 12th year, PYPA has become an important fixture in the classical music world, cultivating a deeper appreciation for classical music and serving as a bridge of cultural partnerships between West and East. A tireless advocate for humanity, Charlotte raised $27,000 for youth education charities through a Hope Charity Concert live-streamed on her Facebook page in June 2020. The online concert reached more than 140,000 people across the globe.

With this album's release, Charlotte Hu announces a metamorphosis of her own – a new name. She says, “When I came to America from Taiwan at the age of 14, my Chinese name was translated to Ching-Yun. Though musical sounding, the translation from Chinese did not reflect its origin. I've long felt the need to embrace my evolving identity. To better reflect this new direction, I have chosen Charlotte Hu as my new stage name. Having lived as Ching-Yun in the media for decades and through so many important life milestones, it was not an easy decision. However, with time, experience, and self-realization comes strength to embrace change. Charlotte, with French origins, means freedom. As a Taiwanese-American, Charlotte embodies the core of my personality and lifelong aspiration to have the courage to act, think, and speak without hindrance or restraint.”

Charlotte Hu on the music featured on Liszt: Metamorphosis:

“Les jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este presents Liszt as a composer of vivid, painterly impressions decades before the musical style made famous by Debussy and Ravel. With its waves of whispering and shimmering arpeggios gliding throughout the full range of the keyboard, this work immediately enchants listeners and draws them in.

A collection of five lieder transcriptions speak to a side of Liszt often forgotten – one rooted in his spirituality and deep love for German poetry. These Schubert and Schumann lieder are instantly recognizable to many listeners, and even without their texts, Liszt's mesmerizing transcriptions chart a journey of the heart – reflecting on love and longing, the passage of time, and the supernatural realm that lies beyond what our eyes can see.

The album's second half offers some of Liszt's most colorful and spirited music. The Three Concert Études are scintillating tone poems that, in terms of cinematic scope, match the power of those he wrote for large orchestra. And the Rhapsodie espagnole brings a showstopping conclusion in an exhilarating celebration of Spanish culture, inspired by the composer's own travels to the Iberian Peninsula in 1845.”

More about Charlotte Hu:

An active recording artist, Charlotte Hu's debut album of Chopin works on ArchiMusic was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan's prestigious Golden Melody Award, and recordings released on Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound with Boston Modern Orchestra Project have received overwhelming critical acclaim. Her Rachmaninoff album on Centaur/Naxos received a five-star review by the U.K.'s Pianist magazine, which called it “essential listening for Rachmaninoff admirers.”

With a dedication to making classical music more accessible, Charlotte Hu presents captivating programs that tell human stories inclusive of gender and race. By juxtaposing audience favorites with underperformed treasures and newly commissioned works, Charlotte's recitals consistently offer musical and narrative contrasts that encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.

A Steinway Artist, Charlotte Hu serves as an artist in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia, in addition to her busy performance schedule. She is a frequent guest artist, leading master classes and artist residencies at universities and music festivals worldwide. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Germany's Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, where she studied with Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and  Karl-Heinz Kammerling, respectively.

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