The New York Concert Review described Vivian Chang-Freiheit as an “excellent pianist… [producing] very delicate, fine phrasing, always singing lines knowing full aware that Schubert is the master lieder composer.” In recital with principal cellist of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra Wen-Sinn Yang, she was praised for “delivering a conscientious, intelligent interpretation that made telling musical sense.” As a frequent collaborator with singers and instrumentalists, she has performed in Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Lincoln Center, Trinity Church, Taiwan National Hall, and in venues throughout the United States, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

As the founder of Vivian Chang Studios, Dr. Chang-Freiheit has engaged over 40 artists and 200 students through creative offerings since 2020. She is currently Artist Faculty and Curriculum Consultant for the Juilliard K-12 Department and serves as Piano Lead for Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard. She was previously Artist Faculty at Phoenix Phest Grande in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Artist-in-Residence at the Monteverdi in Tuscany, Italy in 2016 and 2019. She is also Piano Chair at Pixical, an educational program serving over 300 pianists worldwide. Dr. Chang-Freiheit teaches as a Juilliard Visiting Artist for Nord Anglia Schools and has recorded educational programs for New York City and Boston Public Schools. She has also piloted numerous music programs for children with special educational needs in New York and Washington, DC and was recognized with a distinguished community service award for her volunteerism and advocacy.

Dr. Chang-Freiheit made her solo debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16, performing Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. She studied both piano and violin at the Oberlin College-Conservatory, where she graduated Pi Kappa Lambda and received the Dean’s Talent Award and Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying. Her primary teachers were Joseph Schwartz, Stephen Clapp and Robert McDonald. She continued her piano studies as a scholarship student of Samuel Sanders at the Juilliard School, where she earned her Doctorate and Master of Music degrees and was a staff pianist for 8 years. As the first recipient of the Citibank-Juilliard Stipendium and winner of the Huntington Beebe scholarship, Dr. Chang-Freiheit spent two years in Germany, where she served as a vocal coach at the Leipzig Opera House and studied with Joel Shapiro in Leipzig and Phillip Moll in Berlin. After 25 years living in New York, Dr. Chang-Freiheit moved to Washington, DC in 2017, where she joined the faculty at the Levine School of Music.