Qifan Wu

Qifan Wu is a dedicated pianist, educator, and scholar whose international career spans solo recitals and orchestral performances across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has earned top prizes in competitions including the Global International Music Competition, the International Chinese Piano Competition in Singapore, and the KAWAI Asia Piano Competition. His artistry has been further recognized through prestigious honors such as the Artistic Excellence Award, the Scott McBurney Memorial Scholarship, and the Doris Pridonoff Lehnert Piano Scholarship. Wu’s recent scholarly contributions include Brazilian Adaptations of Baroque and Classical Elements in the Piano Sonata in F Minor, Opus 9 by Alberto Nepomuceno, as well as pedagogical presentations on developing and refining essential pianistic techniques.

A passionate advocate for music education and community engagement, Mr. Wu regularly serves as judge and coordinator at state and national competitions, including the NOMTA Sonata Competition and the LFMC State Junior Competition. He frequently organizes and performs in collaborative concerts with his students, fostering both artistic growth and community connection. As Director of Keyboard Studies at the International Music Institute, he mentors musicians of all ages and levels during the summer. His professional experience also includes roles as a piano maintenance assistant at the Peabody Conservatory, staff accompanist at the Peabody Preparatory, and translator for the Shanghai International Piano Festival and Institute. He is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, the American Liszt Society, Phi Pi Kappa Lambda, and The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Wu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas, where he studied with concert pianist Gustavo Romero and renowned pedagogue Joseph Banowetz. During his doctoral studies, he worked as a Teaching Fellow, providing individual and group instruction for students of all levels. He earned his Master of Music at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of American pianist Benjamin Pasternack, and his Bachelor of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder, studying with pianist Andrew Cooperstock and harpsichordist Elizabeth Farr. He has also received mentorship from distinguished artists including Victor Rosenbaum, Larry Graham, Douglas Humpherys, Alan Chow, and Kirill Gerstein.

Mr. Wu is currently Professor of Practice in Piano Performance at Loyola University New Orleans and serves as Vice President of the New Orleans Music Teachers Association.