Festival artists 2025

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Hong Xu

Hailed by the New York Times as “technically brilliant, insightful musician and seemingly limitless potential”, Hong Xu is one of the China’s most accomplished pianists in his generation.

Dahao Guo

Mr. Dahao Guo, pianist and music activist based in the United States; President of Perfect Pitch Global Arts Center in New York, Founder and Co-Director of North Coast International Piano Festival & Competition in California. Mr. Guo received B.M. and M.M. degrees in Piano Performance from Eastman …

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Dr Rae de Lisle

Dr Rae de Lisle, MNZM is one of New Zealand’s foremost piano pedagogues. Formerly Associate Professor and Head of Piano at the University of Auckland, she has produced many outstanding students, most notably John Chen, first prizewinner of the 2004 Sydney International Piano …

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Hong Xu

Hailed by the New York Times as “technically brilliant, insightful musician, and seemingly limitless potential”. Hong Xu is one of the China’s most accomplished pianists in his generation. He has performed with world-renowned conductors such as Yannick Nezét- Seguin, Vladimir …

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Jerry Wong

Steinway Artist Jerry Wong has been described by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Martin Bernheimer as “eloquent…sensitivity and a finely-honed sense of style” and the Orange County Register praised him for “clean technique, forthright sound and a straight-forward approach to classical textures”. He has …

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Jinsong Xian

Mr. Xian Jinsong has received instruction from China renowned professors such as Li Qi, Zheng Liqin, and Wu Yuan, among others. Following his graduation from the Affiliated High School of the Central Conservatory of Music, he was accepted into the piano performance program at Folkwang …

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Jun Sun

Chinese born pianist Jun Sun has showed his musical individuality and musicianship from various performing experiments and teaching experiences. Mr. Sun had successfully made appearance in notable halls around the world such as Alice Tully Hall and Peter Jay Sharp Theater in Lincoln …

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Krzysztof Jablonski

Krzysztof Jablonski is a Laureate of the F. Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1985. He has won numerous top prizes at international piano competitions in Milan, Palm Beach, Monza, Dublin, New York, and Calgary, and a Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master …

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Kyu Yeon Kim

Kyu Yeon Kim is among the prize winners of  Dublin International Piano Competition, Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, Cleveland International Piano Competition, Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Piano Competition, Geneva International Music Competition and Missouri Southern …

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Leonard Lindweld

Leonard Lindweld completed Bachelor’s of performing arts at Park University’s International Center for Music in Kansas City and holds a Master’s degree from both University in Bergen’s Grieg Academy and The Norwegian Academy. His mentors has included Stanislav Ioudenitch, Leif Ove Andsnes, Einar …

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Mengsheng Shen

Praised as an artist of “remarkable sensitivity and clarity” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), pianist Meng-Sheng Shen performs as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, North America and Asia. First Prize Winner of the Koussevitzky Young Artist Award in New York and International Chopin Piano …

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Michael Endres

The German/New Zealand Pianist Michael Endres has been described by Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe as, “…one of the most interesting pianists recording today ” and by British Gramophone Magazine “…he is an outstanding Schubert Interpreter “. Among his many recordings ( thirty-three in total ) he has …

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Shuhua Chen

Professor Shuhua Chen is a distinguished professor and doctoral supervisor at the College of Arts, Xiamen University, as well as a doctoral supervisor at Macau University of Science and Technology. He holds several prestigious positions, including a member of the Piano Society of the Chinese Musicians’ …

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Stephen de Pledge

New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge has a wide-ranging career as soloist, chamber musician and song accompanist.  After studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he won the Gold Medal, he spent two years as a Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music. Stephen currently …

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Yu Zhao

Zhao Yu, a pianist, Yamaha artist, expert committee member of Piano Art, member of the Guangxi Musician Association, executive director of the Guangxi Piano Society, and member of the China Musician Association. He is currently an associate professor at the School of Music, Guangxi Arts …

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Yun Wei

Chinese born pianist Yun Wei has appeared in notable halls around the world, including Alice Tully Hall and Paul Hall in Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, The Green Space in WQXR and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall in New York, and Shanghai Oriental Hall in Shanghai, and the Great Hall and the Town Hall in Leeds, United…

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Zidong Zhou

Zhou has won the gold medal at the Protege International Piano Competition in the United States (2016) and the Gold Medal at the Fine Arts Festival Piano Competition in the United States (2017). In recent years, he has held piano solo recitals successfully in many concert halls and grand theaters in the …

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