Zlatomir Fung
Rising star cellist Zlatomir Fung, joined by UW faculty pianist Jiwon Han, will present
a cello recital Saturday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing
Arts concert hall.
The duo will present a program showcasing technical mastery and lyrical beauty, opening
with the foundational brilliance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Suite No. 3.” The recital
moves to contemporary challenges in Fung’s “Seven Intervallic Etudes” and is followed
by the expressive, romantic melodies of Frédéric Chopin’s “Nocturne,” arranged by
Friedrich Grutzmacher. The program closes with three pieces: Florence Price’s soulful
“Adoration” and spirited “Elfentanz,” and finally, Gabriel Fauré’s fluttering, agile
“Papillon,” offering a blend of classical structure and expressive virtuosity.
Tickets are $15 for the general public and $8 for students. Tickets are available
at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984/event/1458429, in person or at (307) 766-6666 at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through
Friday, noon-6 p.m., and one hour before performances.
The recital is the grand finale of the UW Cello Festival -- under the artistic direction
of Beth Vanderborgh -- which has become the largest of its kind in the Mountain West.
This year, the festival is welcoming cellists from across the nation for a day of
inspiration and community featuring masterclasses, lectures and workshops.
Other guest artists at the 2026 festival are Natalie Haas, Berklee College of Music;
Colleen Duffy, University of Colorado Boulder; Tim Jones, principal cellist of the
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra; Chris Luther, luthier of Luther Strings; Stephanie Flores,
Laramie County Community College; and Ed Mingo, Pirastro Strings.
The public also is invited to a free cello choir concert Saturday from 1-2 p.m. in
the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall featuring 100 cellist participants,
with a special performance by Fung and Vanderborgh, who will play Antonio Vivaldi’s
“Double Cello Concerto, Movement I.”
Fung burst onto the scene as the first American in four decades (and youngest musician
ever) to win first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division.
He has since garnered accolades, critical acclaim and standing ovations at performances
around the world, including being named in March by The Telegraph (U.K.) as one of
the “Top Ten Most Exciting Young Musicians in the World.”
Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, the
26-year-old already has proven himself a star among the next generation of world-class
musicians. His extensive accolades include an Avery Fisher Career Grant; a former
U.S. Presidential Scholar for the Arts; a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship; and top
prizes at the Enescu and Schoenfeld competitions. His career includes performances
at prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall and festivals including Verbier, Aspen
and the Cello Biennale Amsterdam.
Highlights of his 2025-26 season include a recital at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall
and appearances with major orchestras, including the Fort Worth Symphony, Nashville
Symphony and Melbourne Symphony. Following his tenure as artist-in-residence with
the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Fung continues to tour globally.
A dedicated advocate for contemporary music, Fung champions composers such as Unsuk
Chin, Katherine Balch and Anna Clyne. In 2023, he gave the world premiere of Balch’s
“whisper concerto” with the Dallas Symphony -- a work dedicated to him -- as well
as its U.K. premiere with the BBC Philharmonic in 2024. In March 2025, Signum Records
released Fung’s debut album, a collection of opera fantasies and transcriptions for
cello and piano, which is emblematic of Fung’s endless curiosity and his interest
in expanding the cello’s traditional repertoire.
Beyond the stage, Fung is a creative communicator, having written and performed in
a radio play for WQXR. He is regularly featured on NPR’s “Performance Today” and has
appeared six times on NPR’s “From the Top.” Fung recently joined the faculty of his
alma mater, The Julliard School, where he was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship.
Fung was born into a family of mathematicians and began playing cello at age 3. Outside
of music, his interests include chess, cinema and creative writing.
Fung performs on two fine instruments: a circa 1735 Domenico Montagnana cello, on
loan from a generous benefactor, and the 1696 “Lord Aylesford” Stradivarius, on loan
from the Sasakawa Music Foundation (formerly the Nippon Music Foundation).
For more information, call Vanderborgh at (307) 766-5242 or email bvanderb@uwyo.edu.
