Fou Ts'ong

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Fou Ts'ong (born March 10, 1934 in Shanghai ) is a Chinese and British classical pianist .

life and work

Fou is the son of a Chinese writer and translator of French literature. Under the strict influence of his father, he was brought up in the spirit of classical Chinese culture, through which he very well understands the western spirit. For example, he compared the spirit of Mozart to a combination of the personalities of Jia Baoyu and Sun Wukong . He began taking private piano lessons as a young boy and between 1944 and 1948 studied with Marco Paci, an Italian musician who lived in China.

In 1953 he achieved his first important success with the 3rd prize at the International Youth and Student Festival in Budapest. In the same year he appeared as a soloist with the Chinese Song and Dance Ensemble in Poland. During this time he met the piano teacher Zbigniew Drzewiecki , who accepted him as a student in his class. Fou studied with Drzewiecki from 1954 to 1956. After studying with Drzewiecki for a year, he took part in the International Chopin Competition in 1955 . He got 3rd prize in this competition and won the Mazurka Prize of Polish Radio for the best mazurka performance.

Fou Ts'Ong's stay in Warsaw marked the beginning of his concert career, which initially developed in Eastern European countries. After completing his studies with Drzewiecki in 1956, with the help of Polish friends, he was able to understand the political situation in China and to move to England. During this time he became a very popular pianist. He has been invited by well-known concert agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia and America.

His repertoire is geared towards Chopin, Schubert and Mozart, but also Handel, Scarlatti, Beethoven and Débussy. Fou has recorded sound carriers for various labels, including Mozart's piano concertos and Chopin's works, both concerts with the Sinfonia Varsovia , the complete ballads, selected mazurkas and etudes, the Berceuse, the Sonata in B flat minor and other works. Fou plays regularly in Poland, takes part in symphony concerts as a soloist and gives Chopin and mixed program evenings. In 2005, 2006 and 2010 Fou Ts'ong performed at the Chopin and his Europe festival in Warsaw. Fou recorded a CD with mazurkas in the series The Real Chopin .

Fou Ts'Ong was a member of the jury of the Chopin Competition in 1985 and 2010.

Rating

Fou was or is characterized by many music critics as the “poet at the piano” because of his highly spiritual interpretations of Chopin, Schubert and Mozart works.

Personal

Fou had been married to Zamira Menuhin, the daughter of Yehudi Menuhin , since 1960 . The couple has a son. The marriage ended in divorce in 1969. Fou later married the Chinese pianist Patsy Toh, who taught in London . Fou lives in London. Fou's parents, Fou Lei and Zhu Meifu, were persecuted during the Cultural Revolution and committed suicide in September 1966. Fou Ts'ong has a brother named Fu Min.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rating according to: Fryderyk Chopin Institute
  2. ↑ The information about Fou's parents and brother comes from the English language Wikipedia and is there with reference to Chinese-language Internet sites.
personal data
SURNAME Fou, Ts'ong
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fu Cong
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British classical pianist of Chinese origin
DATE OF BIRTH March 10, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Shanghai