Chinese-born American Richard Fu is currently a pianist at the Royal Ballet and Opera and formerly of the Vienna State Opera. An aspiring recitalist with special affinity for Lieder and chamber music, Richard grew up wanting to be a lawyer
and studied political science at Dartmouth College, yet fell in love with classical music while 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. He collaborates frequently with cellist Zlatomir Fung, concertizing across Europe and on tour in Italy and America.
Richard is the winner of multiple pianist prizes at the International Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition, and took part in the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition with duo partner Anja Mittermüller, where Anja became the youngest
winner in the competition's history. Other performances have taken him to Carnegie Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, BBC Radio 3, WQXR radio, and Teatro della Pergola. In February 2025, Richard returns to Italy on tour with Zlatomir, where they will
perform in venues including Conservatorio "Giuseppe Verdi" di Milano and Teatro La Fenice. They will also release their debut album, featuring opera transcriptions for cello and piano.

As a member of the Jette Parker Artists Artists Programme and Wiener Staatsoper Opernstudio, Richard has played rehearsals and performed in the orchestra pit for productions such as La traviata, Tosca, Aida, Eugene Onegin, Le
nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Hansel and Gretel, Roméo et Juliette, Carmen, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and The Tempest, with conductors including Bertrand de Billy, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Antonello Manacorda, and Thomas Adès.

 

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 Mahler course at Royaumont Fondation, and participated in masterclasses with Antonio Pappano, Franz Welser-Möst, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Maxim Vengerov.

 

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