Flutist Annie Wu presents her dessert-inspired show, “Not Too Sweet,” named after the cheeky Chinese phrase for the perfect dessert. This hour-length evening combines flute and piano selections by Fauré, Sibelius, Dvorak, and more, interwoven with stories of childhood, nostalgia, and memory. Wu’s candid storytelling and unique curation asks what might be gained from a closer look at tunes made even sweeter by shadows of more complicated flavors and sounds.
Program
Philippe Gaubert, Nocturne
Philippe Gaubert, Madrigal
Jules Mouquet, Flute Sonata, Op. 15, “La Flûte de Pan,” II. Pan et les oiseaux
Francis Poulenc, Les chemins de l’amour, “The Paths of Love” (Arr. Annie Wu)
Jean Sibelius, Was it a Dream? Op. 27, No. 4
Dario Marianelli, Liz On Top Of The World (Arr. Emily Mussio Marquez)
Joe Hisaishi, Merry-Go-Round of Life
J.S. Bach, Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034, III. Andante
Antonín Dvořák, Songs My Mother Taught Me
Gabriel Fauré, Fantaisie, Op. 79
Annie Wu, flute
Of flutist Annie Wu, The Mercury News said, “This artist, it seems, can do anything.” Uniting her strengths as a flutist, events professional, writer, and educator, Wu's career sparks curiosity and connection through classical music.
A first-prize winner in the Astral Artists’ National Auditions, James Pappoutsakis Flute Competition, Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition, and YoungArts National Competition, she is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and has performed concerti with the San Francisco Symphony, Vienna International Orchestra, California Symphony, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, and more. Drawing upon her experience producing and managing events at both the James Beard Foundation and the Juilliard School, Wu experiments with uniquely engaging concert formats: a mushroom themed concert-dinner, or, a dessert-inspired show held in venues ranging from a Brooklyn cookbook store to a chocolate factory. Her recent flute and piano album Not Too Sweet, inspired by childhood memories, has surpassed 3 million streams on Spotify, and the accompanying storytelling show will tour five cities in the 25/26 season. Interested in communicative powers of the arts, Wu is a faculty member for the Juilliard School’s Preparatory and Extension Divisions teaching her own interdisciplinary courses, and has led flute masterclasses around the world. Wu holds a B.A. magna cum laude in Comparative Literature from Harvard University and an M.M. from New England Conservatory as a part of the Harvard-NEC Dual Degree Program with Paula Robison.
Joseph Vaz, piano
Pianist Joseph Vaz has performed as a soloist and collaborator in venues from New York’s Weill Recital Hall to Vienna’s Arnold Schönberg Center. A prize winner at the Pacific Stars International Competition, Wideman Concerto Competition, and James Mottram International Piano Competition, Vaz has completed fellowships in the Lucerne Festival Academy, Sarasota Music Festival, and the Gilmore Piano Festival. He has been a soloist with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Harmonia Orchestra Seattle, and holds degrees from Indiana University and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Vaz is now a D.M.A. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center with Julian Martin.