Donna Weng Friedman

Profile

Award winning pianist Donna Weng Friedman enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher, curator and app developer. Her new EP Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings, featuring exclusively AAPI/BIPOC artists, aims to promote understanding and tolerance and combat racism, with all proceeds donated to supporting the AAPI community.

In collaboration with WQXR, Ms. Weng Friedman created and produced Heritage and Harmony, a virtual concert video series in celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. She is the co-creator and co-host of HER/MUSIC;HER/STORY, a mini-series on WQXR as well as a concert series that shines a light on women composers, past and present. She was the guest speaker on TEDx Santa Barbara’s series Making Waves: Conversations with Influencers and Disruptors.

In January and April 2021, Donna Weng Friedman was the featured guest artist on the National Women’s History Museum’s series NWHM Presents: Sundays@Home, honoring women whose activism and talents serve to inspire others. In collaboration with the National Women’s History Museum, Ms. Weng Friedman is working on creating two new educational programs in 2022 featuring leading female BIPOC role models in the arts, dedicated to school age girls of color.

Ms. Weng Friedman has performed in concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the 92^nd St. Y and appeared as soloist with major symphony orchestras, including the Atlanta, Philadelphia and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras. An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, Carter Brey, Ani Kavafian, David Shifrin, Elizabeth Mann, Kelly Hall-Tompkins and Anthony McGill. Ms. Weng Friedman has conducted master classes at the Shanghai and Beijing conservatories and is on the faculty of the Mannes School of Music.

The curator of the Donna Weng Friedman ’80 Master Class Series at Princeton University, she is also a member of Princeton University Music Department’s Advisory Council as well as the board of directors of Friends of Thirteen and WNET. Ms. Weng Friedman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University where she was a University Scholar and a Masters of Music Degree from the Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Adele Marcus, where she was awarded the prestigious Gina Bachauer Award as well as the William Petschek Full Scholarship. She has had the privilege of working with the great composer/teacher Nadia Boulanger as well as pianist Radu Lupu.

She was the music supervisor and recording artist for the award-winning film documentary “Frames of Life” as well as for the documentaries “Living Liberty” and “Morris Engle: The Independent”. Ms. Weng Friedman created “The Music Bee Club” interactive classical music app series for children ages 2-8 featuring world class musicians, such as cellist Carter Brey and flutist Elizabeth Mann, produced by nineteen-time Grammy Award winner David Frost.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/donnawengfriedman/heritage-and-harmony-silver-linings

https://www.wqxr.org/story/heritage-harmony/

https://www.wqxr.org/shows/her-music-her-story/

Degrees Held

A. Princeton University
M. The Juilliard School

Professional Affiliation

Princeton University: Director of the Donna Weng Friedman ’80 Masterclass Series, Music Department
Advisory Council Member, Princeton University Music Department
Mannes College of Music: Prep Division, Piano Faculty
WNET/Friends of THIRTEEN Board of Directors

Recent Publications

Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings, an album featuring AAPI/BIPOC artists in support of the AAPI community https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/donnawengfriedman/heritage-and-harmony-silver-linings
Heritage and Harmony, a virtual concert video series on WQXR featuring classical musicians of Asian descent https://www.wqxr.org/story/heritage-harmony/
HER/MUSIC;HER/STORY, a 4 part mini series on WQXR – shining a light on the stories and music of women composers https://www.wqxr.org/shows/her-music-her-story/
HER/MUSIC;HER/STORY commission The Clara Cycle, music by Kim d. Sherman, poems by Royce Flippin
Featured on WNET Asian Americans of N.Y. and N.J.: https://www.wliw.org/asian-americans-ny-nj/your-stories/donna-weng-friedman/?fbclid=IwAR1JAFKueh-DjL6radDfUo0-XXq4gfDZvrJgpPht2uJUnP4tTDMk8Cx0XmY
Featured on Metro Focus, an award winning multi-platform magazine covering news, culture and life around New York :https://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2020/05/asian-americans-of-new-york-and-new-jersey/#.XrYp1_daqA8.email
Featured on All Arts:https://allarts.org/2020/05/donna-weng-friedman-heritage-and-harmony/
The MusicBee Club, interactive classical music apps for children
The Swan, featuring Carter Brey, cello and Donna Weng Friedman, piano , David Frost, producer
Flight of the Bumble Bee, featuring Elizabth Mann, flute and Donna Weng Friedman, piano, David Frost, producer
HER/MUSIC;HER/STORY as part of the Centennial Celebration at the NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM https://www.womenshistory.org/season-hope?fbclid=IwAR0GJeBF9J3KvsqdCP06sKgZHy-RAnsUXhp8CIpQQy6SI9j5SR_4A-ohD94
https://music.princeton.edu/events/donna-weng-friedman-%E2%80%9980-master-class-series
Guest speaker on TEDx Making Waves: https://tedxsantabarbara.com/2020/donna-weng-friedman-pandemic-empowerment-finding-resilience-in-music-and-stories/
Interview with DM Life and Business online Magazine https://www.dmmagazine.org/donna

Performances and Appearances

Link to my new album Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings, featuring AAPI/BIPOC artists in support of our AAPI community https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/donnawengfriedman/heritage-and-harmony-silver-linings A recent Artist’s Portrait, where I share stories of the AAPI artists featured on my album Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings: https://vimeo.com/541094937 My family story: WNET, Asian Americans of NY and NJ My appearance on TEDx program Making Waves: https://tedxsantabarbara.com/2020/donna-weng-friedman-pandemic-empowerment-finding-resilience-in-music-and-stories/ wqxr.org – Heritage Harmony – my video series featuring stories and music os leading AAPI musicians

wqxr.org – Her Music Her Story. my radio mini series on WQXR that shines a light on the stories and music of women composers, past and present

Research Interests

Teaching children how to understand and connect with the inherent narrative in classical music.
Shining a light on under appreciated and over looked women composers, past and present, sharing their stories as well as their music.
Spotlighting classical musicians of Asian descent performing music by Asian composers, sharing their stories of heritage during a time of increasing racial bias against Asians:https://allarts.org/2020/05/donna-weng-friedman-heritage-and-harmony/
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/donnawengfriedman/heritage-and-harmony-silver-linings New album featuring AAPI/BIPOC artists in support of the AAPI community

Awards And Honors

Princeton University: University Scholar 1976-1980, Sachs Scholarship Award
Juilliard School: Gina Bachauer Piano competition, William Petschek Full Scholarship Award