INTERVIEW Tingting Wu: does happily ever after exist?

There are artists who approach classical music as a conversation with the past and then there are those who seem more interested in asking what else the piano might become. Somewhere in that space, we came across Miami-based concert pianist and composer Tingting Wu, whose work has a truly immersive quality. Through her LumiMusic project, Tingting combines piano performance with synchronised colour and lighting, transforming the traditional concert experience into something more sensory and visually expressive.

Music has been part of her life since she was six, when she began studying classical piano and embarked on a relationship with the instrument that would eventually lead to prestigious performances and a growing body of original compositions. There’s something particularly compelling about the way she approaches that tradition which sees her searching for new ways to create a connection between performer, music and audience. That curiosity eventually led her to the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where she completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance in 2023. Studying under Kevin Kenner, the first prize winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition, Tingting developed her skills as both a performer and interpreter while continuing to chart her own artistic direction.

She received a full scholarship and the highest stipend during her studies, adding another chapter to an already distinguished musical journey. Her work has since moved between traditional performance and more experimental presentation and in 2024, she performed as solo pianist for the PBS television production Pictures at an Exhibition alongside Grammy and Emmy Award-winning conductor Gerard Schwarz. The following year, LumiMusic reached Broadway when she performed as solo pianist for the New York AI International Film Festival Awards Ceremony at Symphony Space.

It is within this mixture of virtuosity, imagination and visual storytelling that Tingting’s own compositions become particularly intriguing. Over the last five years, she’s continued developing her voice as a composer and her latest single titled “The Music Box Lovers” offers a beautifully concise example of how she can turn an idea into an atmosphere. Inspired by a fairy tale, the contemporary piano composition imagines a lonely prince living inside a delicate music box and when a princess discovers him and realises he cannot leave, she makes the decision to enter the box herself.

The two begin dancing together, leaving behind the question of whether their story might eventually arrive at the sort of happily-ever-after ending familiar from Disney. The piece opens with a delicate, melancholic melody, establishing the fragile world in which the characters exist before suddenly shifting into a new key where the fluttering piano lines continue to flow in a balletic dance, offering a truly stunning performance of modern instrumental piano music. The composition subtly takes on a more dance-like quality, reflecting the image of the prince and princess turning together inside their miniature world while Tingting’s delicate, slightly mechanical playing style captures the nostalgic character of a traditional music box, allowing the piano itself to become part of the storytelling.

“The Music Box Lovers” ultimately concludes in the instrument’s high register, leaving behind the impression of something beautiful gradually disappearing from view. It’s a small, carefully constructed world that showcases Tingting’s ability to make the piano feel like much more than an instrument. Having discovered her through her wider work as a performer and creator of immersive musical experiences, “The Music Box Lovers” feels like an especially revealing introduction to her compositional voice. It’s classical music viewed from a storyteller’s imagination, offering music that’s original, cinematic and quietly strange, with just enough magic to make you wonder what happened after the music stopped.

We caught up with Tingting Wu to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new single “The Music Box Lovers” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Tingting Wu below.

Hey Tingting, how’s things?

Hello, dear Plastic Magazine! Everything is going well, thank you for asking!

After coming across your music online, we were instantly captivated by it, how do you instil that sense of wonder in your compositions?

Thank you!! I believe it might be in my genes. My mom has a wonderful gift for literature, while my father is a gifted pianist and musician. I feel lucky to have inherited some talents from both of them, which naturally come through in my performing and composing.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

I think it began in 2023, when I first started composing my own music. I wanted to portray some of the feelings in my heart through music.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Definitely Beethoven. His spirit has always inspired me the most. Who could have faced greater difficulties than he did while composing, and still created such extraordinary music?

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

I also find inspiration in other people’s true stories, especially those that make me feel complex emotions about their experiences. I love expressing those feelings through my compositions and sharing them with others.

What do you love about the Miami music scene?

I love how diverse Miami is. There are so many different cultures and musical styles here, and I feel that audiences are very open to experiencing something new.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

I think the best setting is somewhere quiet and relaxing, where listeners can hear all the emotions and details in the music. Or they can come to a live LumiMusic piano concert, where my compositions are paired with synchronized colored lighting for a fully immersive experience.

How did you find making your new single “The Music Box Lovers”?

It actually came to me very naturally. I was sitting at the piano when this fairy-tale story came to me, inspired by many real-life stories that had been lingering in my mind.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

When the prince and princess are finally together inside the music box, are they really living happily ever after?

Do you believe in happily ever afters?

It really depends. If we’re talking about a prince and princess, I believe both people have to do their part to make it happen. There’s no such thing as being 100% happy every single day, but with effort from both sides, maybe they can be happy 80–90% of the time—and I think that’s already quite good!

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I want people to feel the emotions in my music, and perhaps let the music bring them back to their own stories and memories. Most importantly, I hope it reminds people to treasure what they already have while still pursuing what they desire.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

The LumiMusic season opening concert will take place in Miami on Saturday evening, September 26, 2026. It will mark the first time my original compositions are performed live with LumiMusic’s synchronized colored lighting, and I’m very excited to bring them together and share them with the audience!!!

Listen to The Music Box Lovers below