Felix Fan — Cello
Celebrated for his versatility and artistry, Felix Fan has established himself as one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, János Starker, and Gil Shaham, and has performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Vienna Musikverein, and London’s Royal Festival Hall. His recent solo engagements include appearances with the San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Macau Orchestra, and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, he recorded Gordon Chin’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with violinist Cho-Liang Lin and the Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern, released on the Naxos label.
A passionate advocate of contemporary music, Fan has collaborated with leading composers including George Crumb, Tan Dun, Hans Werner Henze, Oliver Knussen, Kaija Saariaho, and Charles Wuorinen. His work with the Bang on a Can All-Stars has brought collaborations with artists as diverse as Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Terry Riley, and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. Since 2008, Fan has served as the cellist of the FLUX Quartet.
In 1998, Fan founded Muzik3, a performance series and commissioning foundation dedicated to advancing modern music with theater, dance, and video integration. This initiative led to the creation of Real Quiet, a trio with percussionist David Cossin and pianist Andrew Russo. Since 2004, the ensemble has premiered over 20 new works and recorded music by Marc Mellits (Endeavour Records) and David Lang (Naxos). Fan has also explored cross-disciplinary projects, performing in radio plays by Charlie Kaufman and the Coen Brothers alongside Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Meryl Streep, and collaborating with choreographers Karole Armitage, Shen Wei, and Christopher Wheeldon.
Fan studied cello with Eleanore Schoenfeld (University of Southern California), János Starker (Indiana University), Aldo Parisot (Yale University), and Boris Pergamenschikow (Hochschule für Musik, Cologne). In 1994, he was honored as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts by President Bill Clinton. He performs on the historic 1724 “Hausmann” Stradivarius.