No one experiences Stage Fright more often or intensely than Professional Pianists. Insights into its origins very often lead to counter-intuitive methods for handling the symptoms in a productive way. By understanding Affect Theory, pianists can turn Stage Fright experiences into learning experiences and find effective ways to manage the symptoms.

Frederic Chiu performs in major venues on five continents, such as Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, The Chatelet in Paris, or the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, as well as touring extensively in smaller and unusual venues. He collaborates with Classical music friends Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal, Gary Hoffman and the St Lawrence String Quartet, as well as non-Classical friends like jazz pianist Bob James, writer/storyteller David Gonzalez, Shakespearean actor Brian Bedford, and the clown Buffo, trying to bring the vivid live concert experience to as many people as possible. He has worked with conductors such as John Nelson, Stefan Sanderling, Rodolfo Fischer, Susan Haig, Bernhard Klee, Xian Zhang and Alexander Titov.

 In addition to his usual recital programs, Frederic Chiu also presents “Classical Smackdown”, a multi-year series where composers face off in head-to-head comparisons, with listeners voting for their favourite composer. After his first successful Smackdown between Debussy and Prokofiev, he debuted Bach vs. Philip Glass in 2014, with results tracked at ClassicalSmackdown.com.

Frederic Chiu has released over 27 recordings, including the most extensive complete piano works of Prokofiev, and works of Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Rossini and Grieg, as well as the Beethoven/Liszt Symphony V and the solo piano version of Carnival of the Animals. His latest projects include “Hymns and Dervishes,” music of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann, and Distant Voices: Piano music of Claude Debussy & Gao Ping. He is a regular on St. Paul Sunday and Performance Today, and a favourite of public radios across the country.

Chiu’s teaching program Deeper Piano Studies – a philosophic and holistic approach to piano playing – has been presented at the Juilliard School, Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, the Banff Centre and most of the National Conservatories in China.

He is also co-founder and director of Beechwood Arts and Innovation in Connecticut, focused on the crossroads between art, innovation and transformation. His efforts to promote music coincide with his desire to foster peace and understanding, recently recognised by a Senatorial Commendation from the United States Congress.

 www.fredericchiu.com