A celebrated Chinese concert pianist, Dr. Haicong Ni has captivated audiences with his artistry and technical prowess. As a recipient of the China National Arts Fund and an expert of the China National Ministry of Education for the Fine Arts, Dr. Ni currently is the Associate Professor of Piano at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. His acclaimed albums, Homage to Beethoven (To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth) and Land of Charm and Beauty, released by the top Chinese publications-People’s Music Publishing House and Shanghai Music Publishing House, highlight his deep musicality.

 

Dr. Ni has won numerous prestigious national and international piano competitions, including the champion of the National Xinghai Cup Piano Competition and four consecutive awards (China); first prize of the National Piano Invitational Competition for the Teachers of the College Division (China); the recipient of the Willcockson Prize in the Arts; champion of the Lakeshore Young Artist Concerto Competition; champion of the Butler Concerto Competition; champion of the Michigan State University Concerto Competition, as well as the Bronze Award of the Chinese International Piano Competition etc. Many internationally renowned pianists have spoken highly of Dr. Ni’s piano performance: American Pianist Ralph Votapek, Gold Medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition comments that “Dr. Ni’s virtuoso technique and artistic maturity enable him to surpass any performance challenges, thus making him stand out significantly above his peers.” Canadian Pianist Jon Kimura Parker, Gold Medalist of the Leeds International Piano Competition shows great impression to Dr. Ni’s concerto performance, as he comments that Dr. Ni’s “solo communication with the orchestra is interactive; his musical nuance is warm and colorful; and his stage appearance is charming.”

 

In recent years, Dr. Ni has given solo, chamber, and concerto performances, as well as academic lectures throughout major cities of Mainland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Nanchang, Jinan, Changchun, Shenyang, Harbin, Nanjing, Lanzhou, and Xi’an), Taiwan, Korea ,Belgium, and the U.S. Dr. Ni has also been repeatedly invited to perform and give lectures at prominent international music festivals, including the Gilmore Music Festival (U.S.A.), the Korean Concert Artists Association International Music Festival (South Korea), the Winter Euro Arts Academy (South Korea), and the European Summer Piano Academy (Belgium).

 

Since returning to China to teach in 2011, Dr. Ni has published numerous academic papers in domestic music professional journals. In 2015, he was invited to deliver a keynote academic report titled A Review of Music Education in Taiwan and Its Implications at the "5th Cross-Strait Four-Region School Music Education Forum" – a key international academic conference. In 2019, he was invited to participate in the recording of China Central Television’s Chinese Film and Television Chronicles program, where he discussed the contributions of Chinese scientist Zhu Zaiyu's Equal Temperament; the program was broadcast on CCTV-10.

 

In addition, Dr. Ni has been frequently invited to serve as a judge in domestic and international piano competitions. His students have also repeatedly won awards in piano competitions at home and abroad, including the National Little Golden Bell Piano Competition, National Golden Sunflower Cup Piano Competition, Shanghai International Youth Piano Competition, Prokofiev International Music Competition, Piano League Piano Star International Piano Competition, U.S. Open Piano Competition, Hong Kong Piano Open Competition, and Interationaler Deutscher Irmler-Klavierwettbewerb, etc. As a dedicated teacher, Dr. Ni has mentored many successful students, with several earning scholarships to top conservatories such as the Eastman Scholl of Music and Indiana University.

 

Born in Beijing, Dr. Ni studied at the pre-college division of the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing) in his early years. After receiving a full scholarship to study in the United States for more than 10 years, he received the Doctor of Musical Art degree from Michigan State University and returned to China as a high-level talent in 2011. Dr. Ni studied under Feilan Li, Yuan Ling, Pingguo Zhao, Hua Chang, Beverly Hassel, and Panayis Lyras. He has also participated in master classes with world-renowned pianists Vladimir Ashkenazy, Joseph Banowetz, Vladimir Feltsman, Stephen Hough, Jon Kimura Parker, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Mikhail Voskresensky, Ralph Votapek, and Lilya Zilberstein, and received high praise from them.