Biography

Laureate of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, William Wei is recognized as one of Taiwan’s most promising violinists. Known for his natural musicality and refined sensibility, Wei’s performances exude a vibrant dynamism. Described by Le Soir (Belgium) as an artist who “burns all his passion and freedom in the music till the end,” Wei has also been praised by WestDeutsche Zeitung for being both a virtuosic and sensitive interpreter.

Recent highlights include his successful debut in Germany with the Niederrheinische Sinfoniker under Shao-Chia Lü, performing Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3. Wei made his much-anticipated debut with the London Philharmonic, led by Edward Gardner, performing concertos by Sibelius and Saint-Saëns. This followed his acclaimed collaboration with Eiji Oue and the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra on Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Wei’s remarkable mental resilience and adaptability have seen him step in for several last-minute performances, most notably with Eliahu Inbal and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, where he performed Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 for Baiba Skride.

Wei’s 2024 season begins with a return to the Weiwuying International Music Festival for a duo concert with Sunwook Kim. He will also make his debuts with the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan, as well as perform Brahms Violin Concerto with the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra for their season-opening concert. Wei will also give master classes at the Talent Music Summer Course and Festival in Brescia, the Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy, and make his debut at the Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte in Berlin.

As both a soloist and chamber musician, Wei has collaborated with renowned conductors and artists such as Eliahu Inbal, Marin Alsop, Edward Gardner, Wen-pin Chien, Shao-Chia Lü, Eiji Oue, Gil Shaham, Nai-Yuan Hu, Pei-Yao Wang, Sung-Won Yang, Orion Weiss, and Sunwook Kim. His orchestral appearances include performances with the Belgian National Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Niederrheinische Sinfoniker, Sejong Soloists, Taiwan Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Longwood Symphony. He has performed in prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the Henry Le Boeuf Hall in Brussels, Gasteig Concert Hall in Munich, Seoul Arts Center, the Stradivari Museum in Cremona, and Taiwan National Concert Hall and Weiwuying Concert Hall.

Wei gained international attention as the joint gold medalist of the 2013 Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition. He later received the Laureate at the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in 2015 and was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi career grant in 2018. He currently performs on the 1722 Stradivari “Joachim-Elman” violin, generously on loan from the Chimei Cultural Foundation in Taiwan.