Allegro molto in C minor
Artist: Jianan Xu
Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Release date: February 1, 2026
About the Release
Allegro molto in C minor is a striking standalone piano work by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, a composer whose music—long overshadowed during her lifetime—is now increasingly recognized as one of the most distinctive voices of the early Romantic era.
Marked by urgency and dramatic momentum, the piece unfolds with concentrated energy and bold rhythmic drive, balancing classical clarity with an intensely personal expressive force.
This release presents the work as a vivid miniature of Mendelssohn’s pianistic language: passionate, refined, and uncompromising in character, offering a powerful glimpse into a repertoire that continues to be rediscovered and revalued today.
Credits
Performer: Jianan Xu
Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805–1847)
Label: Manus Music
Release Type: Digital Single
Produced by: Manus Music
Artistic Direction: Mingfu Han
Dr. Jianan Xu
Dr. Jianan Xu is a Chinese pianist with an international performance and teaching career. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Kansas, and earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Mannes School of Music. He has studied with distinguished artists including Vladimir Feltsman, Alvin Chow, Alan Chow, and Angela Cheng.
Xu is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including First Prize at the Beethoven Festival Young Pianists Competition, Charleston International Piano Competition, and the Four Cities Piano Competition. He has performed extensively across Europe, the United States, and China, appearing as a soloist and chamber musician.
An experienced pedagogue, Xu has taught at the University of Kansas and the Shanghai Experimental School. His students have been admitted to leading conservatories worldwide. He is currently preparing a commercial recording project scheduled for release in 2026.