by Mike Telin
Not only did James (Zijian) Wei win First Prize at the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition, he also won four special prizes, one of which was the ChamberFest Cleveland Prize. That prize was awarded for the first time during the 2024 CIPC and was the result of a new partnership between Piano Cleveland and ChamberFest Cleveland.
How did that partnership come about? “Yaron Kohlberg is one of my old friends from Israel, and ChamberFest has been wanting to collaborate with the Piano Competition for a long time,” pianist and ChamberFest co-artistic director Roman Rabinovich said during a Zoom conversation.
“We’re always exploring opportunities to bring our winners back to Cleveland and create partnerships with local organizations,” Piano Cleveland artistic director Yaron Kohlberg said by phone, “and ChamberFest is a natural fit.”
“I absolutely admired James’ performances at the competition, so I’m very excited for him to be joining us,” Rabinovich said.
Opening the Zoom link from Beijing, James (Zijian) Wei said he was looking forward to returning to Cleveland. “I’m honored to be coming back to be at ChamberFest. And I’m super happy because I have a lot of friends there. Cleveland is like my second home.”
Mike Telin: I understand that you’ve been touring with the cellist Zlatomir Fung.
JW: Yes, he’s one of the best musicians and cellists in America. We gave five concerts in five cities in China.
MT: Zlatomir is an amazing player — he was at ChamberFest in 2021. What pieces will you be playing?
JW: The Lutosławski Variations on a Theme by Paganini for two pianos with Roman Rabinovich (June 20). It’s a piece I’ve known since I was young. It’s quite challenging and full of excitement, and I think the audience will love it.
I’ll also be playing Bright Sheng’s Four Movements for Piano Trio. I know that Sheng is very famous in the U.S., but I haven’t played a lot of his music, so this is a brand new thing for me.
The next night (June 21), I’ll be playing the Beethoven “Ghost” Trio. This trio is so famous mostly because of the second movement. It’s like you know somebody who has passed away but that person is still in your memory. But the first and the third movement are much happier.
It’s also special for me because I played it in the competition, so I’m happy to perform it again.
MT: What else have you been up to since we last spoke at the Art Museum just after you won the competition?
JW: I had a lot of opportunities in China — concerts with orchestras, solo recitals, and some with chamber music. And next month, I’m going to New York to record my first CD.
MT: What will be on the recording?
JW: I haven’t decided on the exact repertoire, but the theme will be the neo-Romantic period of composers like Ravel and Barber.
MT: After Cleveland, how are you spending the rest of the summer?
JW: After ChamberFest, I’m going back to China to play in a few festivals, and in August I’m going to Giverny, France to play in the Normandy Chamber Music Festival. I’ve been going there for several years now. It’s a lot of fun and very beautiful — it’s very close to Monet’s garden.
Then I’ll go to Korea to perform two concerts. And in October I’m coming back to Cleveland, and then going to New York to give my Carnegie Hall concert.
MT: Wonderful. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?
JW: Just that I am excited to be coming back to Cleveland. During the competition everyone was so full of love and kindness — it wasn’t like a competition at all.
ChamberFest Cleveland runs from June 11- 28. Tickets are available online.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com May 31, 2025
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