Fantee Jones

Pre-College
  • Music Associate
Fantee Jones photo

Contact

Departments

Pre-College

Education

DMA, Eastman School of Music

MMA, Yale School of Music

MM, The Juilliard School

BM, Manhattan School of Music

Awards and Distinctions

XII Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition - 5th Prize

Città di San Donà di Piave International Piano Competition - 1st Prize and "Best Execution of a Classical Piece"

Eastman School of Music Concerto Competition - Winner

Q&A

What is your hometown?

Roseville, California

What is your favorite recording? Why?

Krystian Zimerman's Brahms and Chopin albums. Zimerman's recordings stand out for his exceptional technical mastery and profound emotional depth. His unique interpretations of familiar pieces make each work feel brand new. All of his performances create a captivating narrative, making them unforgettable for listeners and audiences alike.

What are you passionate about outside of music?

I'm a huge foodie who loves exploring the most interesting foods in every new city I visit. I’m also an avid baker; my signature dessert is a Japanese soufflé cheesecake.

Who were your major teachers?

Alexander Kobrin, Hung-Kuan Chen, Marc Silverman

What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?

"To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable" -Ludwig Van Beethoven

What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?

Why do I have to play with the correct fingerings? 

If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?

Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin.

What is your unrealized project?

Performing all the works of Chopin, including the lesser-known pieces 

Biography

Taiwanese-American pianist Fantee Jones, of Roseville, California, gave her first solo recital at the age of seven, and her concerto debut at age ten performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488. Most recently, she was the 1st prize winner and awarded the “Best Execution of a Classical Piece” in the Città di San Donà di Piave International Piano Competition and 5th prize winner of the 2022 XII Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition in Germany.  She has received top prizes in the Gina Bachauer Young Artists, Lagny-sur-Marne, Los Angeles International Piano Competitions and a winner of the PianoTexas International Young Artists Concerto Competition. Upon winning the PianoTexas Concerto Competition, she performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Lio Kuokman.

Miss Jones made her first Carnegie Weill Hall appearance in May 2005 and has also performed at Benaroya Hall and Lied Center of Kansas in the United States, National Recital Hall in Taiwan, Sendai City Cultural Center in Japan, Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, Temppeliaukion Kirkko “Rock Church” in Finland and Verbrugghen Hall in Australia, as well as on Cunard and Princess Cruise Lines.

Fantee began studying with her mother at age three. She received her Bachelor of Music and the Roy M. Rubinstein Prize from Manhattan School of Music, and her Master of Music from The Juilliard School. She was awarded the Elizabeth Parisot Prize along with a Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music, under the tutelage of Hung-Kuan Chen. Most recently, she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Literature and a minor in Piano Pedagogy in May 2022, where she studied with Alexander Kobrin and served as a Teaching Assistant to Alexander Kobrin and Vincent Lenti.

She currently serves as the Artistic Director of the United States Open Music Competition (USOMC), a non-profit organization that has supported youth musicians in Northern California for over 30 years. In addition to her role at USOMC, she is on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Pre-College) and Legato Music School in San Jose and maintains a private piano studio in the Sacramento area. For more information, please visit www.fanteejones.com.

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