Chinese-born American Richard Fu is currently a Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Ballet and Opera and a former member of the Wiener Staatsoper Opernstudio. Richard grew up wanting to be a lawyer and studied political science at Dartmouth College, yet fell in love with classical music while studying abroad in Vienna and decided to pursue a career in music. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music, University of Oxford, the Juilliard School, and in Graz with Julius Drake.

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​Richard began his concert career by performing 30 concerts on tour across America with violinist Timothy Chooi as well as multiple recitals and tours with cellist Zlatomir Fung, culminating in a debut album recording featuring opera transcriptions for cello and piano. Richard is the winner of the pianist prize at the International Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition and won the Wigmore Hall Song Competition with duo partner Anja Mittermüller, with whom he returns to Wigmore Hall for two recitals during the 2025-26 season. Other performances have taken him to Carnegie Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, BBC Radio 3, WQXR radio, Teatro La Fenice, and Teatro della Pergola. 

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As a member of the Jette Parker Programme and Wiener Staatsoper Opernstudio, Richard has played rehearsals and performed in the orchestra pit for productions including Tosca, La traviata, Aida, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Hansel and Gretel, Roméo et Juliette, Carmen, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and The Tempest, with conductors such as Jakub Hrůša, Bertrand de Billy, Daniel Oren, and Thomas Adès. In spring 2026, Richard will work on Siegfried, his first Wagner opera, with Sir Antonio Pappano.

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Richard is the recipient of fellowships from Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West. He has been a pianist for Riccardo Muti’s Italian Opera Academy, Renée Fleming’s Songstudio at Carnegie Hall, Thomas Hampson’s residency course at Royaumont Fondation, and participated in masterclasses with Franz Welser-Möst, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Maxim Vengerov.

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As he begins his conducting studies, Richard is mentored by Sian Edwards and has attended masterclasses and conducted performances with orchestras including North Czech Philharmonic Teplice, Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, and State Opera Stara Zagora. In the 2025-26 season, Richard will be the assistant/cover conductor for the Jette Parker chamber operas, conduct offstage, and conduct a concert featuring members of the Royal Opera House orchestra.

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Richard is deeply indebted to his family, teachers, and colleagues for how they have shaped him as a person and musician.