Y U A N  S H E N G, piano (C H I N A)

YUAN SHENG “…is a pianist of quality. He is also a delightful pianist, meaning that what he touches becomes piquant and full of grace. This is a rare quality. He possesses a smooth virtuosity in which to accomplish this. However, this does not mean that Mr. Sheng is not deep, because he is that too. Just listen to him, you will be charmed and touched!”, according to Mr. David Dubal --- the author of The Art of the Piano, Reflections from the Keyboard, and Evenings with Horowitz. Mr. Sheng has gained international recognition as a concert pianist through his extensive performances in Canada, China, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Poland, Spain and United States. He is a laureate of Marsala, Erice, Jaen, Beijing and Havana international piano competitions. The renowned American pianist Andre Watts, upon hearing Mr. Sheng's performance of Chopin and Liszt, compared his playing with that of Josef Hofmann. The former music critic of the New York Times Harris Goldsmith proclaims that "Mr. Sheng … is an artist of the highest quality……" (New York Concert Review, Summer 2004), after hearing Mr. Sheng's New York Debut recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in April, 2004 as the winner of the Artist International’s Rubinstein Memorial Award. Mr. Sheng has performed as soloist with the Tenerife Symphony and the Gran Canaria Philharmonic in Spain, the Oradea State Philharmonic of Romania, the Central Philharmonic in Beijing, and the National Orchestra of Cuba. He has collaborated with conductors such as Sixten Ehrling, Delun Li, and David Gilbert. As a chamber musician, he has performed in duo-recitals with violinists Aaron Rosand and Arnold Steinhardt. Born to a family of musicians in Beijing, Mr. Sheng began his music studies with his mother at age five, continuing them later at the Central Conservatory with Professors Qifang Li, Huili Li, and Guangren Zhou. From 1991 to 1997, Mr. Sheng was a scholarship student of Solomon Mikowsky at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he completed his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. Mr. Sheng has received advice from artists such as Annie Fischer, Fou Ts’ong, Byron Janis, and Gyorgy Sandor. His interest in the music of Bach inspired him to study intensively with Rosalyn Tureck. Mr. Sheng's articles have been published in China by Piano Artistry. Philharmonic, and Music Weekly. His Chinese translation of the Performance of Bach by Rosalyn Tureck has been published in 2003 by People's Publishing House in China.