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Magnetic, easy-going, and delightfully articulate, Canadian pianist/conductor Ian Parker captivates audiences wherever he goes. As a pianist, he has appeared with top Canadian orchestras including the symphonies of Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Orchestre Métropolitain, and the Calgary Philharmonic. In the U.S., orchestral highlights include the San Francisco, Cincinnati, National, Santa Barbara, Richmond, and Honolulu symphonies as well as the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, to name just a few. During the 2019/20 season, Mr. Parker will make his debuts with the Savannah and Bakersfield symphonies, and will return to the Pensacola and Okanagan symphonies, among others.
In addition to his work at the keyboard, Ian Parker is currently in his second season as music director and principal conductor of the VAM Symphony Orchestra at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Working with some of Canada’s most promising young orchestral players, Mr. Parker programs and conducts four concerts per season in Vancouver’s historic Orpheum Theatre. In July 2020 he will lead the orchestra in a 50th anniversary tour throughout China. He is also artistic director of the Resonate chamber music series at the Kay Meek Centre in North Vancouver.
An enthusiastic recitalist, Mr. Parker has performed across the United States, Europe, Israel, and throughout Canada on tours with Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, and Piano Six. Recital highlights include the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, UCLA, the University of British Columbia, and collaborative performances at the Hawaii International Music Festival and the Morgan Library in New York City.
Mr. Parker’s recordings include a CD with the London Symphony conducted by Michael Francis featuring three piano concertos: Ravel Concerto in G, Stravinsky Capriccio, and Gershwin Concerto in F, released by ATMA Classique, and an all-fantasy solo CD including fantasies of Chopin, Schumann, and Beethoven on Azica Records. Additionally, CBC Records released a recording of three Mozart concertos for one piano (K. 467), two pianos (K. 365), and three pianos (K. 242) featuring Mr. Parker and his two cousins, Jon Kimura Parker and Jamie Parker, with the CBC Radio Orchestra and Mario Bernardi on the podium.
First Prize winner at the 2001 CBC National Radio Competition, Ian Parker has also won the Grand Prize at the Canadian National Music Festival, the Corpus Christie International Competition and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition. At The Juilliard School, he received the 2002 William Petschek Piano Debut Award and, on two occasions, was the winner of the Gina Bachauer Piano Scholarship Competition. Heard regularly on CBC Radio, he has also performed live on WQXR (hosted by Robert Sherman) in New York.
Born in Vancouver to a family of pianists, Mr. Parker began his piano studies at age three with his father, Edward Parker. He holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Yoheved Kaplinsky. While at Juilliard, he was awarded the Sylva Gelber Career Grant by the Canada Council for the Arts, presented annually to the “most talented Canadian artist.”
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, pianist Mark Anderson’s recordings and performances have met with widespread critical acclaim. Since his successes at the 1993 Leeds (U.K.) and 1994 William Kapell (U.S.) International Piano Competitions, Mark Anderson has appeared frequently as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. He has performed in Japan, throughout much of Europe and Great Britain, Ireland and North America.
Mark Anderson has collaborated with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Nicholas McCegan, William Boughton, George Cleve, and Adam Fischer. In recital, Mark has appeared at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Weill Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Phillips Gallery in Washington D.C., London’s Wigmore Hall and Zurich’s Tonhalle and elsewhere throughout Europe and North America. His solo and concerto performances are complimented by chamber music work, most recently with the newly formed Röntgen Piano Trio. The trio has an international performing schedule for the 2024/25 season.
Mr. Anderson records exclusively with Nimbus Records and has released recordings of works by Liszt, Schumann, Brahms and Dohnanyi, Copland, Gershwin, Mussorgsky and Stravinsky. He has recorded 2 CDs of the solo piano works by Hans von Bülow and, since 2014, has released four CDs of solo piano music of the German/Dutch composer Julius Röntgen. His latest recording, a 2-piano CD recorded with pianist Michelle Mares, was released in October 2020 with works by Röntgen, Reinecke and Brahms, is available online at YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify and other online music distributors. Included on this latest disc are two 2-piano works by Julius Röntgen that have previously not been recorded or published. The scores for these works are available from Nimbus Music Publishing. In November 2023, he recorded Röntgen VI, his fifth collection Röntgen’s solo piano works, which will be released later in 2024.
Mark received his early formative training in California with Trula Whelan and later with Aiko Onishi. In 1988, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England under Ryszard Bakst. Subsequently, he concluded his formal education privately with Benjamin Kaplan in London.
Mark Anderson is Associate Professor of Piano, Chamber Music and Piano Pedagogy at the University of British Columbia School of Music. Until 2019, Mark was the owner and Executive Director of New World Music Academy in Pleasanton, California. Mr. Anderson is Steinway artist.
Praised for her “combination of tenderness and vivacious energy” (San Francisco Chronical) and “sheer virtuosity” (LA Splash), Canadian pianist Jani Parsons has established herself as a musician of warmth, brilliance, versatility, and vivid expression. An active soloist and chamber musician, Jani is a founding member and executive director of Latitude 49, a mixed chamber ensemble recently in residence at Princeton University and the pianist of the Aurora Trio with violinist Timothy Steeves and cellist Max Geissler.
As an avid performer and supporter of living composers, Jani has worked directly with many composers including Steve Reich, Christopher Cerrone, John Zorn, Stacy Garrop, Marc Mellits, Roshanne Etezady, Augusta Read Thomas, Jared Miller and Shulamit Ran and has premiered upwards of eighty new solo and chamber works. A sought-after chamber musician, Jani has appeared with the Pittsburg New Music Ensemble, members of Bang On a Can All-Stars, Eighth Blackbird, and New Music Detroit as well as members of the Chicago and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Performances across North America include the Chan Centre for the Arts (Vancouver, British Columbia), the Banff Centre for the Arts, Detroit Symphony Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Ravinia Festival and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) and at various educational institutions including the New England Conservatory, Indiana University, Southern Mississippi University, and Northwestern University among others. She is especially enthusiastic about featuring a wide array of “classics” and undiscovered masterpieces in her programming that spans from pre-Baroque to newly inked works.
2020 was a prolific year of recordings for Latitude 49 (featuring Jani on piano) including the band’s sophomore album, Wax and Wire released on the New Amsterdam Label, and albums released through New Focus Recordings and Furious Artisans. Other recordings include Lumina Duo’s album Beau Soir: French Music for Oboe and Piano on the MSR label and Latitude 49’s debut album Curious Minds hailed as an “Impressive debut” by Bandcamp Daily’s Peter Margasak. She has recorded on the Tzadik label and Çedille Records and has been featured on CBC radio, and WFMT in Chicago.
Hailing from the West Coast of Canada, Jani studied with Lorraine Ambrose at the Vancouver Academy of Music (B.M. in Piano Performance), with graduate studies at the University of Michigan under Arthur Greene and John Ellis (M.M. and DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy). She holds a performer’s diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music (A.R.C.T.) and a certificate of theory pedagogy from the University of Michigan. A dynamic teacher, she has taught many award-winning students and presented pedagogical research in various national conferences. Jani has recently published a two-book series, Technique Through Repertoire, alongside co-author Christopher Madden that was released in 2022 through Piano Education Press, and serves on the National (US) Program Committee of the NCKP Conference through the Frances Clark Center. Jani has given masterclasses across the United States and served on faculty at the Fresh Inc. Summer festival, the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp and the Piracicaba International Piano Festival in Brazil. She served on faculty at Baylor University’s School of Music from 2017-2021 where was recognized as an OVPR Rising Star for her potential for research and early-career development. In 2021, she was appointed as Assistant Professor and head of the piano program at the University of Calgary School of Creative and Performing Arts.
Establishing herself as one of today’s promising emerging artists, pianist Hanbo Ma has made appearances in solo recitals, as well as being featured with orchestras throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. Her career began with her performance of Islamey by Balakirev at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 17, after which she received recognitions by winning the San Jose International Piano Competition, the St. Andrews International Piano Competition, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, as well as others, and was selected as the only recipient of the Cobos Piano Prize given by Eastman School of Music in 2015.
Dr. Ma has given numerous concert tours such as an All-Liszt recital tour in North America and Europe sponsored by the Embassy of Hungary in Washington D.C., Liszt Memorial Museum in Budapest, Hungary, and Hungarian Cultural Center in London, England; a series of concerts and master classes on French and Russian Music at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, East Tennessee State University, Biola University, and Wuhan Conservatory in China. An active pianist, Dr. Ma not only performs solo recitals but also enjoys performing with chamber groups and contemporary composers. In 2013, she was invited to be one of the twelve scholars at Heartland Chamber Music Festival, where her chamber performance was live-streamed on Kansas Public Radio. In 2017, Dr. Ma collaborated with a string quintet from the University of Southern California to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 while conducting from the piano. Dr. Ma has premiered numerous works, including a world premiere of Ben Kwok’s Sounds From the Lung Fields, Dr. Chih-long Hu’s Formosa Caprices, and Elizabeth Baker’s Four Planes, which is a piece the composer dedicated to Dr. Ma. Dr. Ma’s most recent project is in preparation of recording and premiering composer Michael Colina’s Piano Concerto with The Florida Symphony.
Dr. Ma holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music. Her primary teachers include Chih-long Hu, Rebecca Penneys, and Daniel Pollack. During her time at USC, she also studied Composition and Orchestral Conducting with National Medal of Art recipient Morten Lauridsen and Maestro Larry Livingston. Her free educational online content How To Play… series has gained significant recognitions, and she was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023, a prestigious designation recognizing the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano educators. Her latest CD From Schumann, With Love is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Establishing herself as one of today’s promising emerging artists, pianist Hanbo Ma has made appearances in solo recitals, as well as being featured with orchestras throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Her career began with her performance of Islamey by Balakirev at Severence Hall in Cleveland, Ohio at the age of 17, after which she received recognitions by winning the San Jose International Piano Competition, the St. Andrews International Piano Competition, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, as well as others, and was selected as the only recipient of the Cobos Piano Prize given by Eastman School of Music in 2015.
Dr. Ma has given numbers of concert tours such as an All-Liszt recital tour in North America and Europe sponsored by the Embassy of Hungary in Washington D.C, Liszt Memorial Museum in Budapest, Hungry and Hungarian Cultural center in London, England; a series of concerts and master classes on French and Russian Music at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, East Tennessee State University, Biola University and Wuhan Conservatory in China.
An active pianist, Dr. Ma not only performs solo recitals, but also enjoys performing with chamber groups and contemporary composers. In 2013, she was invited to be one of the twelve scholars at Heartland Chamber Music Festival, where her chamber performance was live- streamed on Kansas Public Radio. In 2017, Dr. Ma collaborated with string quintet from University of Southern California to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 while conducting from the piano. Dr. Ma has premiered numbers of works, including a world premier of Ben Kwok’s Sounds From the Lung Fields, Dr. Chih-long Hu’s Formosa Caprices and Elizabeth Baker’s Four Plane, which is a piece the composer dedicated to Dr. Ma. Dr. Ma’s most recent project is in preparation of recording and premiering composer Michael Colina’s Piano Concerto with The Florida Symphony.
Dr. Ma holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California, Thomton School of Music Her primary teachers including Chih-long Hu, Rebecca Penneys and Daniel Pollack. During her time at USC, She also studied Composition and Orchestral Conducting with National medal of art recipient Morten Lauridsen and Maestro Larry Livingston. Her free educational online content “How To Play..” series has gain significant recognitions and she was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023. a prestigious designation recognizing the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano educators. Her latest CD From Schumann, With Love is now available on all major streaming platforms
马涵博,
作为当今备受期待的新兴艺术家之一,钢琴家马涵博在亚洲、欧洲和北美的独奏音乐会中崭露头 角,并且还受邀与多个交响乐团合作演出。她的职业生涯起步于17岁:她在美国五大交响乐团之 一克利夫兰交响乐团著名的Severence 音乐厅演奏了被称为史上最难钢琴曲之一的“伊斯拉美幻想 曲”。在那以后,她作为年龄最小的参赛者,一举赢得圣何塞国际钢琴比赛的第三名。随后,她又 赢得了圣安德鲁斯国际钢琴比赛、洛杉矶国际李斯特钢琴比赛、Young Muse国际钢琴比赛等第一 名,并成为了伊斯曼曼音乐学院2015年颁发的Cobbs钢琴奖唯一的获奖者。
马涵博进行了多次主题音乐会巡演,如受邀在华盛顿特区的匈牙利大使馆、布达佩斯的李斯特纪 念博物馆和伦敦的匈牙利文化中心举办的李斯特专场独奏音乐会世界巡演;在田纳西大学诺克斯 维尔分校、东田纳西州立大学、拜欧拉大学和武汉音乐学院举办的一系列关于法国和俄罗斯音乐 的音乐会、讲座和大师班,取得一系列好评,并在此之后受邀担任美国Golden Gate国际钢琴比赛 的评委会主席。
作为一位活跃的钢琴家,马涵博在北美不仅举办多场独奏音乐会,也致力于室内乐的演奏以及与 当代作曲家合作推广新作品。她受邀成为Heartland室内音乐节的十二位学者之一,并在劳伦斯市 的堪萨斯公共电台直播演奏勃拉姆斯第一钢琴四重奏。马涵博曾在加拿大首演了胡志龙教授创作 的“Formosa Caprices” , 并即将世界首演作曲家Elizabeth Baker为马涵博创作了钢琴组曲“Four Planes”。 马涵博在南加大攻读博士期间,同时与著名指挥家Larry Livingston学习指挥以及与奥巴 马授予的国家艺术奖得主、著名作曲家Morten Lauridsen学习作曲。2017年11月,马涵博在洛杉矶 南加州大学成功举办了指挥专场音乐会,并南加州大学的弦乐五重奏合作,同时在钢琴上指挥演 奏贝多芬的《钢琴协奏曲第二号》。2018年11月,马涵博与著名词作家陈萌萌合作创作的艺术歌 曲”Piano Language“和”除夕夜“在中国发行,得到了新浪,搜狐,网易,凤凰,中国青年网,国际 日报等门户网站热烈好评,并受邀在施坦威公司的2019中国新年音乐会上演奏。马涵博目前正致 力于准备录制并首演迈克尔·科利纳的钢琴协奏曲,这一项目将与佛罗里达交响乐团合作完成。
马涵博在伊斯曼音乐学院获得了钢琴演奏硕士学位,随后在南加州大学桑顿音乐学院完成了钢琴 演奏博士学位。她自2020年起在开始自媒体平台发布的“钢琴技巧干货”系列,已有累积超过3万订 阅者。2023年,马博士被授予施坦威名师堂堂的荣誉称号 — 一项对北美最尽心尽力的钢琴教育家 工作的高度认可的称号。马涵博目前受邀被Orbifold国际音乐节以及Concordia大学夏季音乐节大 师班聘为钢琴教授,并签约于Price Attractions经纪公司成为旗下钢琴演奏家。她的最新音乐专辑 《From Schumann, With Love》已经在所有主要的流媒体平台上可供欣赏。
Baichao Lan is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Mr.Stephen Hough and Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. His debut album (Baichao Lan: Schumann and Prokofiev) released by the China Record Corporation has won him acclaim from around the world. He is an artist of the New Juilliard Ensemble at Lincoln Center. His performances and interviews have been broadcasted by Radio New Zealand.
He serves as the artistic director and judge of multiple international piano competitions including the Vivace International Piano Competition, the Artcial International Piano Competition, and the Melbourne International Piano Competition and he has been awarded as the Steinway’s Top Piano Teacher.
As a concert pianist, Baichao has been invited to give performances throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia in some of the top concert halls including the Lincoln Center in New York, Salle Cortot in Paris, Tel Aviv University in Israel, the Jordan Hall in Boston, the Large Hall of the University of Music and Theater in Leipzig, the M. Lysenko Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Grand Concert Hall in Tbilisi, the Grand Theater in San Marino, the Yamaha Center in Tokyo, the Shanghai Concert Hall, the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. In 2017, he appeared as a soloist with the renowned National Philharmonic of Ukraine under Maestro Vitaliy Protasov. He was also invited to play concerts at the 2018/2019 Animato Association Concert Series in Paris, the 2016 Mendelssohn International Academy in Leipzig.
He has won over 20 national and international piano competitions. Some of his recent accomplishments include First Prize and the Best Rachmaninoff Prize in the 2020 Paderewski International Piano Competition in the USA, Fourth Prize in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition in New Zealand, Fourth Prize and Animato Association Special Prize in the Senior Group at the 2017 XI Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kyiv, Ukraine.
As a teaching artist, he has been teaching piano and chamber music for over 8 years and his students have won several international competitions, got into top conservatories in the world, and successfully performed at prestigious concert halls.
Before earning a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, he earned a Bachelor’s degree with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Mr. Alexander Korsantia. He began his professional musical education at the Shanghai Conservatory with Professor Youzhe Lou and Professor Zhe Tang, where he received musical and academic awards and scholarships. At the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he regularly studied with the leading Chinese pianist Fou Ts’ong.
Baichao Lan is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Mr.Stephen Hough and Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. His debut album (Baichao Lan: Schumann and Prokofiev) released by the China Record Corporation has won him acclaim from around the world. He is an artist of the New Juilliard Ensemble at Lincoln Center. His performances and interviews have been broadcasted by Radio New Zealand.
He serves as the artistic director and judge of multiple international piano competitions including the Vivace International Piano Competition, the Artcial International Piano Competition, and the Melbourne International Piano Competition and he has been awarded as the Steinway’s Top Piano Teacher.
As a concert pianist, Baichao has been invited to give performances throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia in some of the top concert halls including the Lincoln Center in New York, Salle Cortot in Paris, Tel Aviv University in Israel, the Jordan Hall in Boston, the Large Hall of the University of Music and Theater in Leipzig, the M. Lysenko Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Grand Concert Hall in Tbilisi, the Grand Theater in San Marino, the Yamaha Center in Tokyo, the Shanghai Concert Hall, the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. In 2017, he appeared as a soloist with the renowned National Philharmonic of Ukraine under Maestro Vitaliy Protasov. He was also invited to play concerts at the 2018/2019 Animato Association Concert Series in Paris, the 2016 Mendelssohn International Academy in Leipzig.
He has won over 20 national and international piano competitions. Some of his recent accomplishments include First Prize and the Best Rachmaninoff Prize in the 2020 Paderewski International Piano Competition in the USA, Fourth Prize in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition in New Zealand, Fourth Prize and Animato Association Special Prize in the Senior Group at the 2017 XI Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kyiv, Ukraine.
As a teaching artist, he has been teaching piano and chamber music for over 8 years and his students have won several international competitions, got into top conservatories in the world, and successfully performed at prestigious concert halls.
Before earning a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, he earned a Bachelor’s degree with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Mr. Alexander Korsantia. He began his professional musical education at the Shanghai Conservatory with Professor Youzhe Lou and Professor Zhe Tang, where he received musical and academic awards and scholarships. At the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he regularly studied with the leading Chinese pianist Fou Ts’ong.
兰柏超,青年钢琴家,毕业于纽约茱莉亚学院钢琴系,师从知名钢琴演奏家史蒂芬·霍夫与著名音乐教育家约赫维德·卡普林斯基。 他于2018年签约中国唱片公司,并发行个人独奏专辑《兰柏超:舒曼与普罗科菲耶夫》,此专辑得到国内外专业人士的广泛好评。兰柏超是纽约茱莉亚当代乐团艺术家,他的演奏和采访在新西兰国家电台播放。
兰柏超长期担任多个国际钢琴比赛的艺术总监和评委,包括Article国际钢琴比赛、墨尔本国际钢琴比赛等,他同时被斯坦威钢琴授予优秀钢琴教师荣誉。
兰柏超在多项国际比赛中获得佳绩,包括2018年在新西兰举办的凯利凯利国际钢琴比赛,2017年在乌克兰首都基辅举办的第十一届弗拉基米尔·霍洛维茨国际钢琴比赛,2016美国圣何塞国际钢琴比赛等。他长期受邀进行国际演出,多次应法国Animato Association邀请,在巴黎著名的 Salle Cortot音乐厅以及波兰驻法国大使馆举办音乐会,受到媒体的高度评价,并获得肖邦荣誉奖牌;2019年在以色列特拉维夫国际音乐节举办独奏音乐会;2017年4月在乌克兰首都基辅与维塔利·普罗塔索夫指挥的乌克兰国家爱乐乐团合作;2016年9月应邀作为新英格兰音乐学院代表在德国莱比锡门德尔松国际音乐节举办音乐会,并广受好评;2015年应邀参加在格鲁吉亚首都第比利斯举行的国际音乐节举办独奏音乐会,并与谢尔盖·巴巴杨、亚历山大·柯桑迪亚等知名音乐家同台演出。兰柏超表演的足迹遍布世界顶级的音乐厅,包括纽约林肯中心、法国巴黎科托特音乐厅、以色列特拉维夫大学礼堂、波士顿乔登音乐厅、德国莱比锡音乐学院音乐厅、圣马力诺大剧院、乌克兰国家爱乐乐团音乐厅、格鲁吉亚第比利斯国立音乐学院音乐厅、加拿大皇家音乐学院、日本东京雅马哈中心、罗彻斯特伊斯曼音乐学院、韩国国立大学音乐厅等。
作为一名音乐教育者,兰柏超在美国波士顿及纽约已经拥有超过8年的钢琴及室内乐教学经验,学生成绩斐然,获得过数个国际大赛的头奖并考入国际顶级音乐学院。
兰柏超2008年进入上海音乐学院附中,师从指挥家及钢琴教育家娄有辙教授,在校期间成绩优异,多次得到钢琴大师傅聪先生的指导并受到其极高的赞扬。2018年本科毕业于美国新英格兰音乐学院,跟随著名钢琴家亚历山大·柯桑迪亚教授学习,并获得全额奖学金。
Han Xiang David Xu, a young Steinway Artist, is an accomplished Chinese-Canadian concert pianist praised by industry leaders. Steinway & Sons CEO Ron Losby remarked that Xu’s performance of Chopin’s Barcarolle evoked the musical finesse of the legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein, a testament to Xu’s profound command of the classical repertoire.
Xu’s concert career is both prolific and prestigious. Most recently, he captivated audiences with his performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 alongside the Lagom Philharmonic Orchestra in Vancouver. His passion for performance extends across borders, with frequent recital tours throughout China, including major cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xiamen, and Guangzhou. In 2024, he made history as the first pianist in China to perform Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Tianjin, a landmark achievement celebrated for its technical brilliance and artistic vision.
His exceptional recordings have garnered widespread recognition. His album Sonatas on Canvas won awards in three categories at the Global Music Awards: Classical Solo Piano, Album, and Emerging Artist. His latest album, Unattainable Illusion, released in 2023, offers a deep exploration of works by Ravel, Takemitsu,
and Chopin, showcasing his interpretive depth and versatility. Xu is also a prize winner in numerous international competitions, including the Rome International Piano Competition, the International Music Competition Paris Grand Prize Virtuoso, and the Canadian Music Competition.
Xu’s journey in music began in Vancouver, where he moved with his family at the age of 11. He studied with Canadian concert artist Ian Parker before attending the Eastman School of Music under the guidance of Professor Rebecca Penneys. He continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Pascal Nemirovski, graduating with high honours.
Beyond his achievements as a concert artist, Xu maintains a deep interest in other art forms and disciplines, including martial arts, ballet, and painting. His unique approach to piano performance, informed by his martial arts practice and exploration of Taichi principles, has formed the basis of his academic research. He earned his Master of Music degree with a dissertation on Taichi Principles and Piano Performance Techniques and completed a Master of Science degree at the Royal College of Music. His thesis focused on the impact of fundamental martial arts training on young concert pianists.
In addition to his performance career, Xu is a dedicated educator and adjudicator, sharing his expertise in major international piano competitions such as the Canadian Steinway Virtual Competition and the Vivace International Piano Competition. His extraordinary accomplishments and multifaceted talents extend into the commercial sphere, including a feature in Jaguar’s 2019 global advertisement for their new XFL sedan.
Carl Petersson (1981)
Born in 1981 in Lund, Sweden, Carl Petersson began playing the piano at the age of 15. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with José Ribera. Petersson was awarded the Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes scholarship four years in succession, studying with Pnina Salzman, Viktor Derevianko and Emanuel Krasovsky.
Petersson continues to perform internationally, and has appeared at venues such as the Shanghai Oriental Art Center and the Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York. He has collaborated with conductors JoAnn Falletta, Jiří Stárek and Niklas Willén, with orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kraków Philharmonic, and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He has participated in Music and Beyond, Canada, the International Chopin Festival in Antonin, Poland and the Beethoven Festival in Teplice among others.
In 2013 Petersson received his PhD from the Academy of Music in Kraków, where he assisted Mariola Cieniawa’s class. In 2008 he released an acclaimed recording of von Flotow piano concertos with the Pilsen Philharmonic on Sterling Records, and recorded Godowsky’s Java Suite in 2011. During his Canadian tour, he made a live recording of Grieg’s Piano Concerto at CBC Radio, subsequently releasing an album in 2015. In 2016, Petersson released his second album for Grand Piano of world premiere recordings by Per Nørgård which won the 2016 Siemens Music Prize.
As a lecturer, Petersson has been invited to, among others, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, University of Ottawa and the New England Conservatory which has joint programmes with Harvard University. Carl Petersson currently collaborates with the Music School of Xiangnan University in Chenzhou, Hunan, China.