Biography | English | 中文


Philip Feng, sought after for his musicality and command of the piano, has been recognized as "a gifted pianist with passion" and "possesses the qualities that make for an exciting performance...awareness of his relationship to the instrument...the freedom to let the music materialize instead of forcing it". He has presented well-received concerts with orchestras as well as solo recitals with appearances in cities in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, New York, and Taiwan.Philip Feng

A native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China, Philip Feng joined a Yamaha Children Music Class at the age of four, and a year later began his piano training under the tutelage of Fang-Chen Kung and Hsu Yang. In both 1980 and 1981, he was a prize-winner in the Taiwan National Piano Competition. In 1987, he entered Fu-Jen Catholic University, where he performed Grieg's Piano Concerto. He won an award in the Young Stars Intercollegiate Music Competition of Southeast Asia Area in 1991 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics that same year. He continued private study with Steven Ballard in 1993 and in the following year came to the State University of New York at Binghamton where he studied with Seymour Fink, Walter Ponce, and John Covelli. He received a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with two Achievement Awards and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science in 1998. He pursued a Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he was a student of Luba Edlina-Dubinsky, Edmund Battersby, and Reiko Neriki. His return appearance in Binghamton, New York to perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in December 1998 was a result of his winning First Prize in the 1997 SUNY Concerto Competition. In addition, Mr. Feng also received a Performer Diploma from Indiana University in 2000.

However, his small finger injury, due to a sport accident, was just the beginning of a long fight with his hand issues for maintaining the control and the agility of fingers in piano playing as a few years later, his both thumbs somehow also started failing him gradually for no apparent reason. Having sought for treatments for years and almost given up, he underwent a small finger surgery and had a significant improvement. While he thought he could have finally got back on track, he stumbled again as the pain of the 3 fingers continued to get worse, and this time his both thumbs were diagnosed with osteoarthrosis and partial dislocation (subluxation), as well as the small finger with post traumatic osteoarthritis, which are not fixable and, on top of that, degenerating over time. Although the bad news, almost equivalent to a "death penalty" for a pianist, hit him hard, the setback does not make him give up on performances as his enthusiasm in music keeps him going. After a 10-year absence, he has returned to the stage. He will continue to perform as long as his hands allows him.

In addition to a recitalist, Philip Feng is a dedicated and enthusiastic educator. He has coached individual piano students as well as giving master classes in Taiwan and US, at such institutions as Binghamton University, Indiana University, and Rivier College. Mr. Feng currently maintains a private piano studio in Nashua, New Hampshire.