Wu Fei

Born and raised in Beijing, Wu Fei is a composer,
vocalist and guzheng (Chinese zither) performer. She spent her formative years
at the China Conservatory of Music before coming to the United States in 2000.

She
holds an MA in Composition from Mills College and is a grant recipient of “Meet
the Composer.” While at Mills, she began to diversify her sound and experiment
widely, working with musicians like John Zorn, Fred Frith, Carla Kilhstedt,
Pauline Oliveros, Kazue Sawai and Cecil Taylor.

Wu has composed for
choir, string quartet, chamber ensemble, Balinese gamelan, orchestra, film, and
modern dance. Her commissions include a composition for Percussions Claviers de
Lyon that premiered in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.

Wu has performed in cities around the world, including Beijing, Shanghai, Berlin,
Dublin, Johannesburg, Milano, New York, Oslo, Rome, Rotterdam, and San Francisco
Bay Area, plus more.

Her debut album, A Distant Youth (2007, Forrest Hill),
features both Frith and violinist Carla Kihlstedt. In fall 2008, her second
album Yuan was released on Tzadik Records. In 2009, after performing in music
festivals in Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium, Wu presented a duo concert
with experimental jazz legend Evan Parker at The Stone in New York City. Later in
that year, a DVD entitled “Shan Qi” was released (Ozella Music), filmed in the
Italian Alps and highlighting the young artist and several outstanding European
musicians, including Guo Yue, Giovanni Amighetti, Guido Ponzini, and Helge A.
Norbakken.In 2010, Wu spent most of her time in China learning
traditional Chinese folk operas and collaborating with musicians in Beijing. She
also started another cross-culture collaboration with American banjo
player/singer-song writer Abigail Washburn composing and performing innovative
music that draws on both Chinese and American musical traditions.