Fou Ts'ong
Fou Ts'ong was generally regarded as the leading Chinese pianist of his time and one of the most highly respected interpreters of the music of Chopin. Following his prize-winning effort at the 1955 Chopin Competition, Fou went on to establish residence in London and build a successful career both on the concert stage and in the recording studio. Martha Argerich acknowledged him as an influence on her Chopin performances, and other pianistic icons, like Leon Fleisher and Radu Lupu, spoke of his extraordinary skills. Fou was generally conservative in his choice of repertory: besides Chopin, he played much Mozart, including sonatas, other solo works and concertos, as well as the music of J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, and Beethoven, and other major composers. Fou was known for his lengthy concert tours, which often covered much of Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Fou made numerous recordings, most available on Sony, Decca, and Meridian Records.
Fou Ts'ong was born in Shanghai, China, on March 10, 1934. In his youth, he studied piano in Shanghai with renowned Italian pianist and conductor Mario Paci. Fou made his debut there in 1951, playing the Beethoven Fifth Piano Concerto. In 1953, Fou won third prize at the Bucharest Piano Competition. That same year, he began studies at the Warsaw Conservatory, where his most important teacher was Zbigniew Drzewiecki. Fou captured third prize at the prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He was also awarded the Polish Radio Prize there for best performance of the Chopin mazurkas.
Fou relocated to London in 1958. In the early 1960s, he recorded 18 Chopin mazurkas for the Westminster label and drew broad international acclaim. He would go on to make many further recordings, including a complete set of the mazurkas in 1984 (now available on Sony). Fou continued with a heavy schedule of concerts right into the 1990s. He returned to China on a concert tour in 1989 and again in 1998. There he gave many highly praised performances in Beijing and Shanghai and also conducted master classes. In the new century, Fou remained active as a performer, with numerous tours, including concerts in Shanghai in the spring of 2006. He was also active as a member of competition juries, serving on the Queen Elizabeth Competition jury four times, including 2010. His later recordings include an acclaimed 2009 Meridian Records album of Chopin mazurkas. Fou was a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, dying in hospital in London on December 28, 2020.
© Robert Cummings /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Nocturnes
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Vol. II
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1983
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Complete Préludes and Études for Piano
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 4 jan. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Chaconne; Harpsichord Suite; Menuett in G minor; Bach: Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue; Capriccio (Fou Ts’ong – Complete Westminster Recordings, Volume 2)
Klassiek - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 jan. 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 7 & 10
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Fou Ts'ong, English Chamber Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 jan. 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scarlatti: 32 Sonatas
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 4 jan. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Mazurkas
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 12 nov. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Vol. I (Remastered 2021 Version)
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1979
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Concerto for 3 Pianos and Orchestra (No. 7) in F, KV 242 'Lodron'; Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra (No. 10) in E flat, KV 365 (Fou Ts’ong – Complete Westminster Recordings, Volume 10)
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Fou Ts'ong, English Chamber Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 jan. 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Images Oubliées - Estampes - Images I & II
Klassiek - Released by Collins Classics on 1 jan. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Piano Sonatas
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 11 jan. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Works
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 1 jan. 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Études (Remastered 2021 Version)
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1980
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Mazurkas and Other Piano Works
Kamermuziek - Released by Supraphon a.s. on 24 aug. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Young Fou Ts'ong Plays Beethoven & Chopin
Klassiek - Released by Heritage Records on 21 sep. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Piano Sonatas 2 & 3 (Remastered 2021 Version)
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1979
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong: Bach: Partita No.3 in D Major / Handel: Sonata in G Minor - Concerto in G Major - Suite No.7 in G Major
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 4 jan. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Piano Works
Klassiek - Released by Meridian Records on 1 jan. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Mazurkas (Fou Ts’ong – Complete Westminster Recordings, Volume 5)
Klassiek - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 jan. 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Ballades; Berceuse; Preludes (Fou Ts’ong – Complete Westminster Recordings, Volume 6)
Klassiek - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 jan. 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fou Ts'ong Plays Chopin Préludes (Remastered 2021 Version)
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1980
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo