akron concert series
James (Zijian) Wei, Piano
Tuesday November 17 at 7:30pm
EJ Thomas Hall
EJ Thomas Hall
Individual concert tickets on sale this summer. Full-season subscriptions available now starting at only $65!
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He brought Carnegie Hall audience to their feet
In 2024, James (Zijian) Wei triumphed as the Mixon First Prize winner in the prestigious Cleveland International Piano Competition while also securing rare multiple accolades: Best Chamber Music Performance Award, Henle Verlag Urtext Special Prize, Audience Choice Prize, and Young Judge Prize. His performances — including last year’s Carnegie Hall debut, where he received multiple standing ovations — are filled with genuine emotion, boundless enthusiasm, and gifts galore. As our Margaret Baxtresser Pianist this season, James is presented in collaboration with Piano Cleveland.
About James (Zijian) Wei
Chinese pianist JAMES (ZIJIAN) WEI is rapidly becoming a rising star among his generation of pianists. His performances are characterized by genuine emotion, boundless enthusiasm and gifts galore.
In 2024, Wei triumphed as the Mixon First Prize winner in the prestigious Cleveland International Piano Competition, while also securing accolades including the Best Chamber Music Performance Award, the Henle Verlag Urtext Special Prize, the Audience Choice prize, and the Young Judge Prize. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2025, where he received multiple standing ovations, and will perform at the Tonhalle in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2026.
In recent years, Wei has frequently performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras in North America, Europe, and China.
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