“I always find my role as a pianist very similar to an actor. Fundamentally speaking, we are all interpreters trying to decode a piece of art and transmitting to the audience through our own means.”

CHENG ZHANG

Pianist Cheng Zhang first received international recogni­tion in 2011 by winning both the only Haskil prize and public prize at the prestigious Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Vevey Switzerland.

A native of China, he garnered critical acclaim for his per­formances at such venues including Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Stravinski Auditorium in Montreux and Philharmonic in Warsaw. Highlights in recent years include appearances at Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Verbier Festival Academy, Festival Septembre Musical de Montreux-Vevey, Schubertiade from Espace 2, Bonn Robert Schumannfest and Nohant Chopin Festival.

Since 2016, after winning the Schumann Piano Competi­tion in Zwickau Germany, Cheng has established himself as a distinguished Schumann interpreter of his generation in the recent concert seasons. His all-Schumann album, recorded live at Église Saint-Marcellin de Névache in France, was released in June 2019 by Accentus music.

Cheng studied with Klaus Hellwig at the Universität der Künste Berlin in Germany, where he now lives. He also holds a degree from TCU School of Music under the guid­ance of Tamás Ungár. Before moving to the United States, he attended the Shenzhen Arts School in China, where he was a pupil of Dan Zhaoyi.

Read more in the booklet and interview of the artist