Wen-Lei Gu performs as guest soloist with Fox Valley Symphony

Lawrence University violinist Wen-Lei Gu will be the guest soloist Saturday, Oct. 7 when the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra opens its 2017-18 season with an all-Russian program. The 7:30 p.m. concert will be held at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton.

Tickets are available through the PAC’s ticket office, 920-730-3760.

Gu, an award-winning and internationally popular soloist, will be featured in a performance of Shostakovich’s emotionally challenging and technically brilliant Violin Concerto No. 1.Wen-Lei Gu

Brian Groner, the FVS’s music director since 1995, calls Gu “phenomenal” and says he was “charmed” the first time he had a chance to hear her play.

“Her playing was (and remains) so elegant and so sophisticated,” says Groner. “It has been my distinct privilege to work with her on almost 10 different occasions.’

A native of China, Gu came to the United States as a 13-year old after winning first-place prizes in both violin and piano state competitions at age seven. When she was 12, she was named gold medalist in China’s Fourth National Violin Competition.

Gu, an associate professor of music, joined the Lawrence faculty in 2006. She has performed throughout the world, including the Bach Festival at Carnegie Hall in commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death, the Kennedy Center for the Millennium Concert Series as a guest soloist with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and China Beijing Philharmonic on concert tours of Europe.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.