The Piano Pod Season 2 Episode 16: Donna Weng Friedman--Award-winning pianist, Chamber Musician, Producer & Educator

To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we invited Donna Weng Friedman— Award-winning pianist, chamber musician, producer, and educator -- for this upcoming episode. 

Clara & Yukimi had a wonderful conversation with Donna this morning. She is such a great storyteller--we all got choked up during the show hearing her incredible stories! During the interview, we covered topics such as: 

• Donna's upbringing/training at Princeton and Juilliard, and with Nadia Boulanger.
• Her international performance career
• Her Heritage and Harmony programs
• Her creation of "The Music Bee Club" -- interactive classical music apps for children.

[Donna Weng Friedman] 

Ms. Friedman created the Heritage and Harmony programs - including the video series in collaboration with WQXR, and the education program Heritage and Harmony: Her Art, Her Voice in collaboration with the National Women’s History Museum – with the aim of promoting empathy, understanding, and tolerance among people of all backgrounds. 

Ms. Friedman has performed in concert halls as a soloist with major symphony orchestras internationally and as a chamber musician, collaborating with world-renowned musicians. As a recording artist, she released an EP during the pandemic, named Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings, which was recently honored with two silver medals at the 2022 Global Music Awards. 

Ms. Friedman currently serves as a faculty member at the Mannes School of Music while conducting master classes worldwide including at the Shanghai and Beijing Conservatories. She is also the creator/developer of “The Music Bee Club”—an interactive classical music app for children, which was produced by multiple Grammy-Award winner, David Frost. 

[Links] 

• WQXR Her/Music Her/Story: https://www.wqxr.org/shows/her-music-...
• Heritage and Harmony: https://www.wqxr.org/story/heritage-h...
• About Quiet Poems: https://icareifyoulisten.com/2022/03/...
• Listen to Quiet Poems: https://youtu.be/qLWQJXyAldo
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7iJ84K...
• Mannes: