News

Lee University School of Music will present pianist Dr. Muen Vanessa Wei in a faculty recital on Wednesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall. 

Wei’s recital will be the third in a series of eight recitals titled “Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas Concert Series,” which will showcase all 32 of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas over the next four semesters. Wei will perform four of Beethoven’s sonatas, including Op. 10, No. 3 in D Major; Op. 22 in B Flat Major; Op. 14, No. 1 in E Major; and Op. 109 in E Major. 

According to Wei, the first two sonatas are very similar in terms of their structures. They follow the compositional style of Beethoven’s teacher, Joseph Haydn, with some of Beethoven’s personal touches. The final sonata in the program is much more intimate, with many harmonic and structural innovations. 

Wei joined Lee’s School of Music in 2021 as an assistant professor of piano and teaches courses such as applied piano, collaborative piano, and chamber music. Prior to Lee, she served as a guest professor at China West Normal University and piano faculty at New Tampa Piano and Pedagogy Academy. She has collaborated with many great musicians including Lynn Harrell, Ian Hobson, Peter Lloyd, and Joel Smirnoff. Wei also has a debut album, “Im 3/4 Takt,” which has been considered “one of Centaur’s finest releases to date” by Fanfare. 

Wei earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from the China Conservatory of Music. 

The recital is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. 

For more information about the concert, contact the Lee University School of Music at [email protected] or call (423) 614-8240.