Qifan Wu

Qifan Wu is a dedicated pianist, educator, and scholar who serves as Professor of Practice in Piano Performance at Loyola University New Orleans. He has appeared as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. His artistic achievements include a Platinum Medal in the Global International Music Competition, Second Prize in the International Chinese Piano Competition in Singapore, and First Prize in the KAWAI Asia Piano Competition.

Wu’s artistic and scholarly interests encompass piano performance, pedagogy, and keyboard repertoire. His scholarly work includes research on Brazilian adaptations of Baroque and Classical elements in Alberto Nepomuceno’s Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 9, as well as presentations on the development and refinement of advanced pianistic techniques. Through his research, teaching, and performance activities, he seeks to foster musical connections and deepen understanding among students and audiences.

Committed to music education and community engagement, Wu serves as President of the New Orleans Music Teachers Association and Director of Keyboard Studies at the International Music Institute. He is active as an adjudicator, clinician, and competition coordinator for regional and state music organizations, contributing to the development of young musicians and the broader musical community throughout the Gulf South. His professional affiliations include Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, and the American Liszt Society.

Wu earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Gustavo Romero and Joseph Banowetz and served as a Teaching Fellow. He earned a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University under Benjamin Pasternack and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied with Andrew Cooperstock and Elizabeth Farr. Additional artistic mentors have included Victor Rosenbaum, Larry Graham, Douglas Humphreys, and Kirill Gerstein.