Described as an “intrepid percussionist” by Fanfare Magazine, I-Jen Fang has a career as a solo performer, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She joined the faculty of the Music Department at the University of Virginia in 2005 and serves as the Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of the Charlottesville Symphony.
As a soloist, I-Jen has performed in Taiwan, U.S., Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and South Africa. She was also the featured marimba soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony in 2006 and 2010.
As a chamber musician, I-Jen has performed or recorded with artists such as Keiko Abe, Gregory Beyer, William Cahn, Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, Dave Hall, Edward Janning, Heini Kärkkäinen, Sivan Magen, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Jan Müller-Szeraws, Diane Pascal, Minna Pensola, Carsten Schmidt, Ed Smith, Nanik Wenton, Nyoman Wenton, EcoSono Ensemble, Cantata Profana, Attacca Percussion Group, DaCapo Chamber Players, Victory Hall Opera and Charlottesville Opera. She has appeared in Staunton Music Festival, Wintergreen Festival, Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, Heritage Theater Festival, Greencastle Summer Music Festival (IN), DRUMFEST XXVIII (Poland), International Viola Congress, National Flute Association Convention, Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) Conference, Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) and Regional PAS Day of Percussion. She is also a founding member, with Ayn Balija, of the Piedmont Duo, which explores the sonic possibilities of the viola and percussion. In 2024, the duo was invited to perform in Hungary and Brazil.
An advocate of New Music, I-Jen was the director of the UVA New Music Ensemble for 14 years. The ensemble collaborated with composer/improviser George Lewis, flutist Claire Chase, and performed for composers such as Phillip Glass and Christian Wolff. She has also commissioned and/or premiered works by JoVia Armestrong, Jon Bellona, Matt Boehler, Becky Brown, Matthew Burtner, Cameron Church, Ted Coffey, Kevin Davis, Christopher Deane, Erik DeLuca, Aurie Hsu, André Mehmari, Sarah O’Halloran, Chris Peck, Leah Reid, Judith Shatin, Brian Simalchik, Ed Smith, D.J. Sparr, Max Tfirn, Zachary Wadsworth, Kristina Warren, and Michele Zaccagnini.
A lover of Gamelan Music, I-Jen was a member of Makan Malam Gamelan Ensemble (TX) and Charlottesville Javanese Gamelan Ensemble (VA). Other than studying with Ed Smith in Texas, she also studied Gamelan Gender Wayang under the tutelage of I Ketut Madri in Bali. In 2005 and 2009, she was invited to perform at PASIC on the Gamelan Gender Wayang.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, I-Jen began her musical education at age six taking piano lessons. Taking up percussion at the age of nine, she came to the United States at age fifteen to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Percussion Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. She received her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas where she served as a teaching fellow.
I-Jen is an Innovative Percussion, Marimba One and Sabian Cymbals artist.
Photo by Molly Jordan Angevine