Biography

Heng-Ching holds a Ph.D. in Music (2009) from the University of Leeds. Others degrees include a Master of Music (2004) from the City University, Guildhall School of Music & Drama (studied with David Takeno and Jack Glickman), a Postgraduate Diploma from the Birmingham Conservatoire (international students scholarship, studied with Rivka Golani), and a Bachelor of Music Education (2002) from the Taipei Municipal Teacher’s College (government scholarship). During her doctoral candidature she was the recipient of two prestigious and highly competitive research awards: a British Woman Foundation Fund Scholarship Award and a Music and Letters award from the Oxford Journals.

Dr. Fang’s research interests cover a broad range of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century topics in terms of historical performing style and critical aesthetics, strings methods and recordings analysis. Her Ph.D. thesis proposes an approach, which highlights the link between psychology and qualitative method, and explores the close relationship between theory and practice; this was particularly focuses on the analysis of performing styles of Joseph Joachim, Lionel Tertis and William Primrose.

She published her book “The Twentieth-Century Revolution in String Playing: A Practice-Based Study” in 2009. Her first academic translation book, “Classical and Romantic Performing Practices 1750-1900”, by Clive Brown published by Oxford University Press (OUP), has published in 2012 by the Continental Book Ltd. Other professional Activities include participating in Art and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Project with Dr. David Milsom, and collaborating withInterdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) with composer Mr. Nigel Morgan.

Started to learn piano from age 4, and viola (violin) from age 9, Heng-Ching has enjoyed a successful career as a professional musician in the United Kingdom and Asia. She is the prize winner of the Leeds Chamber Orchestra Soloist Competition, finalist and the only string player in the Ludlow Philharmonic Competition, the First Prize in the Taipei West District Viola Competition and third-prize winner of the National Viola Competition. As a viola soloist, she played the William Walton’s Viola Concerto with the Leeds Chamber Orchestra and received positive review. She has freelanced with the Macao Orchestra, Chiemi Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Leeds Baroque Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival, London Charity Orchestra, Asian Young Orchestra and toured in the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Japan with conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, Benard Haitink, Semyon Bychkov, Jaap van Zweden, Edo de wart, Krzyszt of Penderecki, Christopher Hogwood, Ween Pin Chen and Bright Sheng. As a chamber music player, Heng-Ching enjoys working with musicians and has experienced many different forms of chamber groups. She played regularly with the LUCHIP String Quartet giving concert in Leeds, and Sheffield from 2005 to 2008. Heng-Ching and organist Daniel Gordon have recorded the Treeness, which was dedicated by composer Nigel Morgan, and commissioned by the A-R Editions Inc. in 2008. She taught viola at the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in 2016 during her stay in Malaysia, and then gave master classes in Sabah since 2015.

Currently, Dr. Fang enjoys her teaching career as a founder of the Selly Oak Music School, teaching Piano, Violin (Viola) and Music Theory in Birmingham. She is also active as performer and researcher, and has organised few fund raising concerts for local charities.