Nicodé: Piano Music Vol. 1

As a pianist, conductor, and composer, Jean Louis Nicodé (1853–1919) was one of the most distinguished musicians of his time. He was born in Posen, Prussia (now Poznań, Poland), and became a fixture of Dresden’s musical life in the final years of the 19th century. Today his name is almost entirely forgotten, although he was a highly gifted composer whose reputation as a performer met the same fate as his music. His piano music is somewhat reminiscent of Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann, and a dance continually flashes beneath the surface, but his expansive and unique piano sonata possesses a visionary quality that finds its origins in late Beethoven. Muen Vanessa Wei, a native of China, has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral pianist. She has appeared as a guest soloist under the baton of Ian Hobson, Donald Schleicher, and Xiaoying Zheng. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with a number of distinguished musicians, including Henry Gronnior, Lynn Harrell, Henry Hutchinson, Ko Iwasaki, Peter Lloyd, and Joel Smirnoff. She joined the Astralis Ensemble in 2018 and has toured with the group throughout the United States. She has also performed at many renowned festivals, including the Gilmore Keyboard Festival and the Montecito International Music Festival. Since 2021, she has been a piano lecturer at Lee University in Cleveland.