Overview
Biography
The Chinese pianist, Yuan Sheng was born to a family of musicians, and began his music studies with his mother at age 5, continuing them later at the Central Conservatory with Professors Qifang Li, Huili Li, and Guangren Zhou. From 1991 to 1997 he 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. His interest in the music of Bach inspired him to study intensively with Rosalyn Tureck. Sheng is a laureate of the Marsala, Erice, Jaen, Beijing and Havana International Piano Competitions and the winner of the Artist International’s Rubinstein Memorial Award in 2004.
Yuan Sheng has gained international recognition as a concert pianist through his extensive performances in Canada, China, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and the USA. Harris Goldsmith of New York Concert Review 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. The author of Reflections from the Keyboard David Dubal states that: “…Just listen to him, you will be charmed and touched!” 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 and the China Philharmonic in China, and the National Orchestra of Cuba. He has collaborated with conductors such as Sixten Ehrling, Delun Li, and David Gilbert.
As a chamber musician, Yuan Sheng has performed in duo-recitals with violinists Aaron Rosand and Arnold Steinhardt. He has been seen and heard on WQXR, NPR stations in the US, CCTV and Beijing Music Radio in China, as well as national TV and radio stations in Cuba, France, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Poland, and Spain.
Yuan Sheng's articles have been published by leading music magazines in China. His recent series of sixteen articles "Together We Love Bach" have been published by "Piano Artistry". As a recipient of the National Young College Teachers’ Fund from Huoyindong Educational Foundation, Sheng will compile and write a method book of teaching Bach’s keyboard music as well as record four CD’s of keyboard music of J.S. Bach in the coming years. Sheng has given lectures and master-classes in the USA, Canada, China, Croatia, Germany, and the Philippines. He is currently on the Piano faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China.
