(George Xiaoyuan Fu. Photo courtesy of High Desert Chamber Music)
On Sunday, November 8, High Desert Chamber Music will continue its 19th season by welcoming Trio Zimbalist, making their Central Oregon debut. I had a chance to talk to pianist George Xiaoyuan Fu about his interest in the piano and composing, the development of the trio, and the music that has influenced his musical journey.
George grew up in the D.C. area and started piano lessons when he was five years old. He told me that when he started taking lessons, it was nothing serious at first. “My parents noticed I began playing things by ear on this little electrical keyboard we got from a yard sale.” As time went on, he began to get more serious about piano, and by the time he became a teenager, the piano had become an inextricable part of his identity. However, George mentioned that he was always quite serious about academics, so he decided to pursue a more “liberal arts education.” His thinking, as he describes it, was that a broader mindset would, in the long run, enrich whatever it was he decided to do. “That view, I think, has certainly held true over the years.”
George performs regularly as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. When I asked him whether he was drawn to a particular area, he told me that he loves playing in all settings. “But the piano is quite a solitary instrument,” he told me, “so it’s always such a treat to play with colleagues in a chamber setting.” In addition to his performance work, he is also an emerging composer. In fact, NPR Music named his composition Passacaglia on a Theme by Radiohead one of the 125 Best Songs of 2025. George told me that he feels composition is part of the same creative thrust as performing and interpreting, so it was a natural progression. “In fact, many of the ‘golden age’ pianists had folded composition and improvisation into their performance practice. Discovering pianism of this era really ignited my creative fire, and I see my work as a composer as a continuation of that tradition — and that includes arranging and transcription.”
George attended the Curtis Institute with violinist Josef Špaček and cellist Timotheos Gavriilidis-Petrin. Trio Zimbalist came together when George and the other members toured together in Europe in 2021. As he mentioned, simply, “It went so well that we decided to make it a thing.”
George told me that the trio’s favorite repertoire is always what they’re working on at the moment. Josef, from the Czech Republic, has taught them so much about the Czech repertoire. When asked about some of his favorite music, he told me, “Personally, I’m also in the middle of a huge Schumann phase at the moment.” As a matter of fact, George told me that Schumann’s Kreisleriana is a piece that has inspired him in so many different ways. “For one, it was my Curtis audition piece! But also, there is a literary element to it; its namesake, the fictional character of Johannes Kreisler, was a brainchild of the author E.T.A. Hoffmann.”
Please join us on November 8 at 5pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Bend for a delightful program featuring works by Ravel, Martinů, and Schumann. There will be a pre-concert talk with George and the members of the trio at 4:15pm. This concert is brought to you by Pine Tavern Restaurant. Tickets are available through High Desert Chamber Music by phone or online. Come hear the music!