Profile
Faculty
I-Jen Fang
Associate Professor
Biography
Described as an “intrepid percussionist” by Fanfare Magazine, I-Jen Fang has a career as a solo performer, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She joined the faculty of the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia in 2005 and as Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of the Charlottesville Symphony.
As a soloist, I-Jen has performed as a marimba soloist in Taiwan, U.S., Austria, France, Hungary, Romania, and South Africa. She was also the featured marimba soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony in 2006 and 2010. As a chamber musician, I-Jen has performed or recorded with artists such as Keiko Abe, William Cahn, Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, Heini Kärkkäinen, Mike Mainieri, Jan Müller-Szeraws, Diane Pascal, Carsten Schmidt, Ed Smith, Michael Spiro, NanikWenton, Nyoman Wenton, Attacca Percussion Group, and DaCapo Chamber Players. She has appeared in Heritage Theater Festival, Staunton Music Festival, University of Virginia Chamber Music Series, Percussive Arts Society International Convention and Regional PAS Day of Percussion.
An advocate of New Music, I-Jen is currently the director of the UVA New Music Ensemble. The ensemble has recently collaborated with composer/improviser George Lewis, and performed for composers such as Phillip Glass and Christian Wolff. She has also commissioned and/or premiered works by Matthew Burtner, Ted Coffey, Kevin Davis, Christopher Deane, Erik DeLuca, Aurie Hsu, Sarah O’Halloran, Chris Peck, Judith Shatin, Brian Simalchik, Ed Smith, and D.J. Sparr.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, I-Jen began her musical education at age six taking piano. Taking up percussion at the age of nine, she came to the United States at age fifteen to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Percussion Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. She received her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas where she served as a teaching fellow.
I-Jen is an Innovative Percussion artist.