Dr. FAN Wei-Tsu, Dean of the College of Arts and Professor of the Chinese Music Department at Chinese Culture University (CCU), received his training at the Northwestern University with Master's degree and a Ph.D. in musicology (Dissertation: Variant Performances of Franz Liszt's Piano Music in Early Recordings: A Historical Perspective on Textual Alterations, 1991.) He majored in Music Theory and Composition at CCU with a Bachelor's degree. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of Research of Zheng Art and an executive board member of the Association of Chinese Music in Taiwan.

A prolific scholar in music history and piano repertoire, Prof. FAN conducted an extensive research on international piano competitions, focusing on adjudicating systems and an accumulative analysis of the competition repertoires. Between 1996 and 2007, he had visited such major events as Tchaikovsky (Moscow), Chopin (Warsaw), Queen Elisabeth (Belgium), Van Cliburn (Fort Worth), Hamamatsu, among others. This research culminated in two books respectively entitled Gradus ad Parnassum: Music Competitions and Young Artist's Career Building (Taipei, 2001) and International Sunset Colosseum for Aspiring Young Pianists (Taipei, 2007; winner of the “Music Criticism” category of the China Golden Bell Award, Beijing, 2013). His critically acclaimed books also include: Aspects of the Russian Pianism: A Critical Perspective (Beijing, 2005) and Moonlighting Liszt: Music Criticism at History Crossings (Taipei, 2005). Prof. Fan contributed regularly to music journals such as Performing Arts Review (Taipei), Music Times (Taipei), Piano Artistry (Beijing) and Qin Zheng (Xian).

Prof. FAN is also an award winning performer and composer of Zheng, a Chinese zither. He played extensively throughout Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and North America, and had been listed in the roster of the Arts Tour Program of the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (USA). His major works include: Savor, Reverie, Chaos, Études-Tableaux on Taiwanese Folk Songs, Star Dust, Upon Her Expressive Gaze, Dark Angel, Concerto Dung Lijun, Visions Fugitives, Vision d'automne, Living Dangerously, Jazz Krakowiak for Zheng Trio, and Concerto Arabesque. An acclaimed soloist in the prominent Yangzhou Zheng Festival, the Beijing Zheng Festival, the First International Guzheng Symposium in Hong Kong, Zheng Festival in Kobe, Japan and Gayageum Festival in Gimhae, Korea. In recent years he has appeared as a soloist with such prominent orchestras in the Far East, e.g. Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hsin-Tzu Youth Chinese Orchestra, Tzan-Yin Chinese Orchestra, Hwa-Kang Chinese Orchestra, Jiangxi Province Song and Dance Theatre Symphony Orchestra, and Ensemble of the Korean Gayageum Society.

List of Works for Zheng:

1. Original Works

A. For Zheng Solo

Études-Tableaux on Taiwanese Folk Songs, 1999

Savor, Reverie, Chaos, 2003

Star Dust, 2009

Upon Her Expressive Gaze, 2009

Dark Angel, 2010

Visions Fugitives, 2012

Vision d'automne, 2015

Living Dangerously, 2016

B. For Zheng Ensemble

Fugato for Zheng Trio, 2009

Deng Lijun for Zheng Duet, 2011

Arabesque for Zheng Trio, 2011

Jazz Krakowiak for Zheng Trio, 2013

Deng Lijun for Zheng Trio, 2015

C. Concerted Works

Deng Lijun Concerto for 2 Zhengs, Koto, Gayageum, Đàn tranh and Chinese Orchestra, 2010

Deng Lijun Concerto for Zheng Solo and Chinese Orchestra, 2010

Deng Lijun Concerto for Zheng Solo and Western Orchestra, 2012

Concerto Arabesque for Zheng Solo and Chinese Orchestra, 2014

Deng Lijun Concerto for Zheng, Gayageum, Yatga and Chinese Orchestra, 2020

2. Transcription and Arrangement of Guqin Music for Zheng

Xiaoxiang Shuiyun, for 21-stringed Zheng, 1984

Zuiyu Changwan, 1988

Longshuocao, 1992

Wentian, 1998

Wuye Wuqiufeng, 1999

Guanglingsan, 1999

Kongshan, 2007

Liushui, 2012

Xiaoxiang Shuiyun, for 26-stringed Zheng, 2014

List of Published Music Works:

Fan Wei-Tsu, Music for Zheng, Facsimile Edition, Vol. I. Taipei: Chinese Culture University Press, 2013.

Fan Wei-Tsu, Music for Zheng, Facsimile Edition, Vol. II. Taipei: Chinese Culture University Press, 2014.