Dr. Hsiang Tu

Praised by The New York Times for his “eloquent sensitivity,” The Boston Intelligencer for his “impeccable technique,” and Fanfare for his “Chameleon-like ability to move between composers,” pianist Hsiang Tu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and debuted in New York at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center as the winner of The Juilliard School Concerto Competition (Chopin Concerto No. 1). Since then, he has performed at high-profile venues such as Museum of Modern Art and Joyce Theater in New York City, Cardiff National Museum, Leeds University Great Hall, and Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris in Europe, and Sendai Youth Cultural Centre in Japan and National Recital Halls in Taiwan. 

In 2025, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth, Dr. Tu has embarked upon performing the complete piano solo work by the French composer in Croatia, Peru, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S., with a recording project to follow. Future projects include Debussy’s complete piano solo works and thematic recitals featuring opus-one compositions and more music inspired by animals.

Following the critical acclaim of his debut album, Bestiary on Ivory (Bridge Records, 2020), a new album featuring Chopin’s 24 Preludes and Sonata No. 2 was released by Da Vinci Classics in March of 2024, which the American Record Guide singled out the 24 Preludes as “among the best.”

 A prizewinner at the New Orleans International Piano Competition, the Iowa International Piano Competition, and the American Paderewski Piano Competition, Tu has appeared with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the World Civic Orchestra, and student orchestras at New England Conservatory, Boston University, Snow College in Utah, the University of New Hampshire, and UF. He has adjudicated for various music teachers’ association competitions in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Virginia, and given masterclasses in renowned institutions such as the University of Southern California, Peabody Conservatory Preparatory Division, Penn State University, Baylor University, and the University of Oklahoma.

Before his appointment at the University of Florida, Dr. Tu taught at Virginia Tech, the University of New Hampshire, Utah Valley University, and Snow College. He holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary and an M.M. and D.M.A. in Piano Performance from The Juilliard School. For more info, please visit hsiangtu.com.

Dr. Koji Attood

Koji Attwood, a Kansas native, made his solo debut at the age of ten, and one year later won 2nd prize at the Young Keyboard Artists International Competition. He earned 2nd prize at both the Stravinsky and Missouri Southern International Keyboard competitions, was a winner of Astral Artistic Services’ 2003 International Auditions, and was a featured artist on yamahamusicsoft.com’s “New York City Rising Star” series.

Mr. Attwood has performed numerous solo recitals across much of the country, including concerts in Steinway Hall, Lincoln Center, and on the Kosciuszko Foundation Concert Series. He appeared regularly on the “World of the Piano” series at the Juilliard School and was frequently heard on a weekly radio show on New York’s WQXR, hosted by David Dubal.

Committed to the performance of contemporary music, Mr. Attwood has given world premiere performances of works by Cynthia Folio, Hector Martinez Morales, and Daniel Ott. Also active in chamber music, Mr. Attwood has performed with members of the Borromeo, St. Lawrence, Koryo, and Enso quartets, and is a regular collaborator with Mikhail Baryshnikov. He performed with the dancer’s White Oak Dance Project, and partnered with Mr. Baryshnikov for his 2002-3 solo tour of the United States, garnering praise for being “beautifully nuanced” [Cleveland Plain Dealer], “enchanting” [Santa Barbara News Press], “a wonderful pianist” [Seattle Times], “Koji Attwood…is a pianist of rare gifts, both as a solo artist and as a collaborator. Playing solo pieces of Scriabin, Scarlatti, Liszt and Soler, this young pianist was much more than fill. He is a concert pianist with an impeccable technique, a rich tone, and an assured sense of good interpretive taste”

[Nevada-Events], and described by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: “Koji Attwood percolated rapturously…they (Baryshnikov and Attwood) displayed lovely chemistry in a performance full of virtuosity, and humor, whimsy and seriousness. Their coordination was so tight that it sometimes seemed as though the dancer’s limbs were attached to the musician’s notes.” In May and June 2010 he joined the American Ballet Theatre for eight sold-out all-Chopin performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, playing in the company’s critically lauded premiere of the John Neumeier ballet Lady of the Camellias, and was invited back the following year for seven repeat performances.

Mr. Attwood’s recent performances include a highly acclaimed recital at Merkin Hall in New York City, a European debut at the prestigious Husum festival in Germany, debut in Canada, performing in Montreal at the Theatre Outremont, and invitation by the Fondation Cziffra to perform at the Chapelle Royale Saint-Frambourg in France. He is featured, along with pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, on the 2009 “Rarities of Piano” Danacord release, and as an avid transcriber, has over twenty arrangements to his credit.

Prior to receiving a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Seymour Lipkin, Koji studied at the University of Kansas with Richard Angeletti. He then went on to earn a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Mr. Attwood currently serves on the faculty of the Gifted Music School, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a Visiting Associate Professor of piano at the University of Utah. Koji is a Yamaha Artist.

Dr. Chih-Long Hu