Chien Chien Lu-(eu)

Chien Chien Lu is a jazz vibraphonist, contemporary percussionist, and composer whose Taiwanese heritage, classical training, and passion for grooves shape her fresh, distinctive approach to contemporary jazz. Recently included in DownBeat Magazine's "25 for the Future" a list spotlighting the next generation of jazz talent, and named one of the 10 Emerging Jazz Artists of 2023 by the Recording Academy, Lu’s unique sound continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Her latest collaboration with bassist Richie Goods, Connected, just won "Best Instrumental Album" at the 34th Golden Melody Awards.

Lu’s fierce authenticity and jazz mastery shine on her debut solo album, The Path, released in September 2020. This project spent 20 weeks in the JazzWeek Top 20, earned "Best Jazz Song" at the Golden Indie Music Awards, received three Golden Melody and four Golden Indie Music Award nominations, and led to Lu being celebrated as a "vibraphone rising star" in DownBeat Magazine’s 69th Annual Critics Poll. Her band has performed at prestigious festivals, including the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and DC Jazz Festival, and toured extensively across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

When she was playing classical percussion, Lu collaborated with composer Ching-Mei Lin, performing her marimba concerto Pulsing Wave for six-mallet marimba, gave a solo percussion concert at Taipei Novel Hall, and was recognized as an "Emerging Young Artist" in 2014 for her work with her marimba duo.

In 2017, Lu attended the Banff Jazz Residency under the direction of jazz pianist Vijay Iyer, where she met jazz trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. This experience marked the beginning of her journey as a regular performer in the U.S. and later led to her joining the esteemed Jeremy Pelt Quintet. Her sophomore solo project, Built In System, released in Fall 2023, has been praised as one of the best jazz and world albums of 2023 by The Times of London.