Frederic Chiu Piano Recital

Frederic Chiu plays major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Le Châtelet in Paris, the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, and extensive tours in smaller and unusual venues. He collaborates with Classical music friends Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal and the St Lawrence String Quartet, as well as non-Classical friends like jazz pianist Bob James or storyteller David Gonzalez, to bring vivid live piano experiences to all audiences.

His innovative programming includes “Classical Smackdown,” where composers face off in head-to-head comparisons, with listeners voting for their favorite composer: Debussy vs. Prokofiev, Bach vs. Glass, Mendelssohn vs. Chopin before age 20. Results tracked at ClassicalSmackdown.com. With his wife, Jeanine Esposito, he co-created the arts non-profit, Beechwood Arts & Innovation to explore collaboration across art genres and the integration of arts and technology to foster community. His innovative vision of Romeo & Juliet – The Choice, an interactive production of the popular Prokofiev ballet, debuted in 2018. Frederic teaches at both Carnegie Mellon University and The Hartt School.

Recital Program:

“Classical Smackdown” Teenage Felix Mendelssohn vs. Teenage Frederic Chopin

Round 1

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Polonaise in G Minor (7 years old) Polonaise in Ab Major (11 years old)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Sonata in G Minor Opus 105, mvt i – Allegro (12 years old)

Round 2

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Sonata in E Major, Opus 6 (16 years old)

Allegretto con espressione Tempo di Menuetto

- Più Vivace Recitativo: Adagio e senza tempo 

- Andante 

- Allegretto con espressione Molto Allegro e vivace 

- Allegretto con espressione

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

- Nocturne in E Minor, Opus Posthume 72 #1 (17 years old) 

- Mazurka in A minor Opus 17 #4 (15 years old) 

4 Etudes from Opus 10 (19 years old)

- No. 9 in F minor

- No. 10 in A-flat major

- No. 11 in E-flat major

- No. 8 in F major

Round 3

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

- Rondeau in C Major Opus 73 (18 years old)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

- Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Opus 14 (15 years old)