The Rise of Wei-Luo
Wei-Luo is a 20-year-old pianist who has been making waves since she was just 13. We’re always excited by young artists who are charting new paths in classical music, and Luo is one of them. She was the recipient of the 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Award, and in her most recent achievement, Luo performed at the Gilmore Festival in January as part of their Rising Stars series.
Her concert included works from Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, and Ravel, and closed out the season for the Gilmore Festival. Among other works, Luo performed Poems, a work she commissioned, written specifically for her, by contemporary American composer and pianist Marc Neikrug.
Asked how audience members might best appreciate listening to the piece she replied, “My best tip is that we let our imagination come out, relax, and feel the atmosphere and colors the music and I create.” Luo’s performance certainly allows the mind to relax and imagine the beauty that accompanies her pieces.
In addition to her performance at The Gilmore Festival, she just made her debut with the San Diego Symphony and released an album on the Decca label. The reviews are in, and they are raving. Kanzen Arts said of her recent performance with the San Diego Symphony: “If you stayed at home for this concert, it was your profound loss. Luo seems destined for stardom.”
Her album features pieces from Haydn, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, while the opening work is La valse by Maurice Ravel. According to ClassicsToday, “the opening salvo abounds with dazzling contoured runs and glissandos, awesome octave passages, staggeringly precise leaping chords, and climaxes that are massive yet never overblown.”
Wei Luo is undoubtedly a young artist to watch. Download her new album here.
