March 28: Pianist Charlotte Hu Presented by Boyer College of Music at Temple University – Performing the Music of Enrique Granados
Photo by Dario Acosta available in high resolution here.
Pianist Charlotte Hu
Presented by Boyer College of Music at Temple University
Performing the Music of Enrique Granados
Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 5:30pm
Rock Hall Auditorium at Boyer College of Music
1715 North Broad Street | Philadelphia, PA
Tickets and information
“praises follow [Charlotte Hu] all around the world” – International Piano
Philadelphia, PA – Internationally acclaimed Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu will be presented in concert by Boyer College of Music at Temple University on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 5:30pm in Rock Hall Auditorium (1715 North Broad Street). This performance is free and open to the public. Charlotte Hu (formerly known as Ching-Yun Hu) has been praised by audiences and critics across the globe for her dazzling virtuosity, captivating musicianship, and magnetic stage presence. She is an artist in residence at Temple University, and makes her home in Philadelphia.
In this solo recital, Hu takes the audience on a captivating journey through Spanish composer Enrique Granados’ masterpiece Goyescas, which is inspired by Francisco Goya’s paintings. Hu has recently recorded the work for her second PENTATONE album, which will be released in June 2026. The program showcases Granados’s brilliant fusion of Spanish folk elements with sophisticated piano writing. From the flirtatious Los requiebros, to the haunting Serenata del Espectro, this colorful, passionate suite evokes the full emotional spectrum of Spanish Romanticism and stands as one of the pinnacles of Spanish piano literature. The program includes the following selection from the Goyescas – Book 1: I. Los requiebros, II. Coloquio en la reja, and III. El fandango de candil; Book 2 I. Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor, II. El amor y la Muerte, and III. Epilogo: Serenata del Espectro.
“My first encounter with Granados' Goyescas came during my years as a student at Juilliard,” says Hu.
“Like many artists discovering this cornerstone of Spanish piano literature, I was immediately captivated by the vivid world Granados had created on the keyboard. What struck me most was not simply the technical brilliance of the writing, but rather the poetry embedded within—the nuanced characters, the narrative arc that unfolds across the entire suite, the distinctly Spanish flavors interwoven with profound emotional depth, and the virtuosity that never overshadows the music's intimate storytelling. Here was a masterwork that seemed to contain entire worlds: passion, tenderness, humor, shadow, and light all coexisting within its six movements.”
With a fierce dedication to making classical music more accessible, Charlotte Hu presents captivating programs that tell human stories inclusive of gender and race. By juxtaposing audience favorites with underperformed treasures and newly commissioned works, Hu’s recitals consistently offer musical and narrative contrasts that encourage people to listen deeply and discover anew the work of even the most well-known composers.
More about Charlotte Hu: As a soloist, Charlotte Hu has astounded audiences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing sold-out concerts at many of the world’s most prestigious venues — including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Osaka’s Symphony Hall. She is a frequent guest at music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Ruhr-Klavier Festival, and Oregon Bach Festival. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic, among others. Recent and upcoming highlights for Charlotte Hu include performances presented by Newport Classical, the Mansion at Strathmore, the Gilmore Piano Festival, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Taipei Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the Taichung Opera House.
An active recording artist, Charlotte Hu’s debut album of Chopin works on ArchiMusic was named Best Classical Album of the Year by Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Award, and recordings released on Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound with Boston Modern Orchestra Project have received overwhelming critical acclaim. Her Rachmaninoff album on Centaur/Naxos received a five-star review by the U.K.’s Pianist magazine, which called it “essential listening for Rachmaninoff admirers.” Her latest album, Liszt Metamorphosis, was released by PENTATONE in July 2024. In June 2026, Charlotte will release her next album on PENTATONE, which will feature Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite in its entirety.
Charlotte Hu is the founder of two piano festivals across two continents: the Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. Now in its 13th year, PYPA has become an important fixture in the classical music world, cultivating a deeper appreciation for classical music and serving as a cultural bridge between East and West.
At the heart of Charlotte’s success is a story of strength, dedication, and resilience that has powered her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Moving to the United States from Taiwan at age 14 without her parents to begin studies at The Juilliard School was the first of many challenges Charlotte has overcome in building her illustrious career — one that’s included winning top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, performing on classical music’s biggest stages, and fostering the next generation of musicians as an advocate for classical music through entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives. A tireless advocate for humanity, Charlotte raised $27,000 for youth education charities through a Hope Charity Concert live-streamed on her Facebook page in June 2020. The online concert reached more than 140,000 people across the globe.
A Steinway Artist, Charlotte Hu serves as an associate professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and as an artist in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia, in addition to her busy performance schedule. She is a frequent guest artist, leading master classes and artist residencies at universities and music festivals worldwide. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Germany’s Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, where she studied with Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and Karl-Heinz Kammerling, respectively.
For more information, visit www.charlottehu.com
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Taiwanese-American pianist Charlotte Hu, for whom “praises follow her all around the world” (International Piano) is presented in a solo recital by Boyer College of Music at Temple University. Hu will perform the Goyescas Piano Suite by Enrique Granados — a deeply expressive suite that stands as one of the pinnacles of Spanish piano literature. This emotive music makes up Hu’s forthcoming second PENTATONE album, which will be out in June 2026.
Concert details:
Who: Pianist Charlotte Hu
Presented by Boyer College of Music at Temple University
What: The Goyescas Suite by Enrique Granados
When: Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 5:30pm
Where: Rock Hall Auditorium at Boyer College of Music, 1715 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
More information: https://now.temple.edu/events/2026-03-28/faculty-recital-charlotte-hu-piano
Free and Open to the Public