Doctoral Supervisor of the Piano Department at the Central Conservatory of Music  

Head of the Piano Department and Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music

Vice President of the Chinese Musicians Association Piano Society  

Steinway Artist, Steinway Distinguished Professor

Mr. Danwen Wei began learning the piano at the age of four and made his first public performance at nine. At twelve, he entered the prestigious preparatory school of the Central Conservatory of Music, where under the careful guidance of Professor Li Qifang, he won the first prize in the National Piano Competition at the age of seventeen. In 1983, Mr. Danwen Wei was admitted to the piano department of the Central Conservatory of Music. The following year, he went to the United States to study, and at 21, he became one of the last two students of the Romantic master Vladimir Horowitz. He graduated from the renowned Juilliard School in New York in 1992. As a professional performer and Steinway Artist, Mr. Danwen Wei has toured dozens of countries in the United States, Europe, and Asia, giving hundreds of concerts. He has collaborated with many famous orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, New York Chamber Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, while still a student, Danwen Wei was selected by the renowned conductor Zubin Mehta to perform with the New York Philharmonic at the opening concert of the Mozart Bicentenary Series at Lincoln Center, where he achieved great success.

After returning to China to teach, Mr. Danwen Wei's students have won numerous awards in international and domestic competitions. His students are spread across major music academies in Europe and the United States, and they have given concerts at famous concert halls such as New York's Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Danwen Wei is a specially appointed professor at Shenyang Conservatory of Music, a guest professor at the China Conservatory of Music, Xi'an Conservatory of Music, and Wenzhou University, and an honorary professor at Tianjin Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching piano, Danwen Wei has recently ventured into conducting. Since 2013, he has served as the permanent conductor of the Perugia International Music Festival. He has conducted orchestras including the Italian Soloista di Perugia Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Budapest Youth Symphony Orchestra, Israeli Ashdot Symphony Orchestra, Spanish University of Alcante Symphony Orchestra, Czech Virtuosi Brunenses Chamber Orchestra, Central Conservatory of Music's Distinguished Artists Chamber Orchestra, Shenyang Symphony Orchestra, and Zhengzhou Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2019, Mr. Danwen Wei was appointed as the permanent conductor of the Taipei International Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Professor of Piano at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University  

Resident Professor at the Juilliard School  

Dr. Steven Spooner is a recipient of seven international piano competitions, including the First Prize and Grand Prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the Nicamp Career Prize for the most outstanding pianist in the French music category from the Paris Conservatory, and an award winner at the New Orleans International Piano Competition.  

Dr. Spooner's recitals are bold and innovative, with a unique format. He has performed solo concerts at world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Salle Cortot in Paris, the Great Hall of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in Singapore, and the Shanghai Concert Hall. Dr. Spooner frequently conducts masterclasses at prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy, the Royal College of Music in the UK, Seoul National University in South Korea, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Currently, the Chicago International Competition and Festival, founded by Dr. Spooner and where he serves as the artistic director, has become an artistic cradle for many international competition winners. He has released over 40 albums with numerous record companies, including Naxos and A Life of Music.

Steinway Artist, Former Piano Professor at the Curtis Institute of Music  

Mr. Meng-chieh Liu is a Steinway Artist and currently a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1993, he gained recognition by substituting for the renowned pianist André Watts in a performance at the Philadelphia Orchestra while still a student at the Curtis Institute of Music. This led to numerous major concert engagements. In the same year, he became a faculty member at the Curtis Institute, making history as the first Asian piano professor in the institution's history. In 2002, he received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Career Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society. He has subsequently held positions such as Professor of Piano at Roosevelt University in Chicago and Music Director of the Chicago Soloists Chamber Ensemble. He has mentored several young virtuosos, including Mr. Lang Lang, Ms. Yuja Wang, Mr. Haochen Zhang, and Mr. Tianxu An. As a pianist, his career has been highly active, with performances in major concert halls across the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, and other countries. He is also frequently invited to participate in renowned music festivals worldwide, collaborating with distinguished musicians and orchestras from various countries.

Professor at the Cologne University of Music and Dance  

Internationally Renowned Music Educator and Pianist  

The renowned Russian-German pianist Ilia Scheps graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. Starting in 1982, he worked as a soloist with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra for a decade, performing with many famous vocalists and soloists across the globe, while also teaching at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1992, Professor Scheps relocated to Germany, where he taught at the Rostock University of Music and Theatre and the Dortmund University of Music. In 2003, he became a professor of piano and chamber music at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. He currently serves as a piano professor at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, having previously been the dean of its Aachen campus, and is also a guest professor at the Shenzhen Arts School. Scheps regularly conducts international masterclasses in various European and Asian countries. He has released dozens of albums with renowned record companies such as Melodia (USA), Le Chant Du Monde (France), and Deutsche Welle-classe (Germany).

On one hand, he possesses the youthful vigor of Richter, while also having the unique tension of Gilels... His sensitivity and controlled inner strength allow him to reach the softest extremes... (Westdeutsche Zeitung)  

"His extensive teaching experience makes Mr. Scheps an exceptionally distinguished piano mentor. His seasoned background - from an academy that has nurtured many great pianists - is something every conservatory should be fortunate to have his assistance with!" (Fischer-Dieskau).

In recent years, Professor Scheps has been invited multiple times to teach in China and has received high praise from domestic professionals. He served as a juror in the "China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition" in 2006 and 2009, and conducted masterclasses alongside renowned piano educators such as Zhou Guangren and Chen Hongkuan. In 2016, he was a juror and conducted masterclasses at the 7th China International Piano Competition in Xiamen.

Professor at the Piano Department of the Central Conservatory of Music  

Lecture Professor of the "Wuhan Conservatory Scholar" Program at Wuhan Conservatory of Music  

Distinguished Professor at the Purcell School for Young Musicians  

YAMAHA Artist  

As a leading academic pianist of the new generation, Mr. Jianing Kong's musical achievements have been widely recognized in countries around the world. He has reached the finals and won awards in several major competitions under the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC), including the Leeds International in 2009, the Scottish International in 2014, the Santander International in 2015, and the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2016. Mr. Jianing Kong is active on important international concert stages, having presented a series of concerts at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster Abbey in London, the Brahms Saal of the Vienna Musikverein, Salle Pleyel and Salle Cortot in Paris, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Sydney Opera House, Beijing Concert Hall, Zhongshan Park Music Hall in Beijing, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. He has collaborated with renowned orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, Scottish National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, Spanish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, and Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also worked with distinguished conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Gergely Madaras, Pablo González, Michael Hofstetter, Peter Stark, Paul Daniel, Lü Jia, and Liu Peng.

Mr. Jianing Kong studied at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music's preparatory school, the Purcell School for Young Musicians, and the Royal College of Music. At the Royal College of Music, he was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with the highest distinction in his major and was elected as a Milles Williams Junior Fellow. He has studied under renowned musicians such as Wu Zhongwen, Mok Mui-sing, Huang Tiandong, Ronald Smith, Ruth Nye, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Dmitri Alexeev, and Fou Ts'ong, and has received guidance from masters including Maria Tipo, Dmitri Bashkirov, Christoph Eschenbach, and Dominique Merlet. In 2017, Mr. Jianing Kong launched an ambitious project to perform the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas. His first album of Beethoven's piano sonatas was globally released in August 2020, followed by the second to fourth albums in 2021 and 2022, covering the late and middle-period sonatas. During the 2020/21 concert season, Mr. Jianing Kong returned to China for his first solo recital tour, where his performances received widespread acclaim from audiences at more than ten first-tier city concert halls, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Hangzhou Grand Theatre, Qintai Concert Hall, Changsha Concert Hall, Guangxi Culture and Arts Centre, Fuzhou Strait Culture and Arts Centre, and Zhuhai Huafa Poly Grand Theatre.

Pianist Charlotte Hu is the double winner of the top prize and the Audience Award at the Rubinstein International Piano Competition. With her dazzling piano technique and highly musical interpretations, she has been invited to perform in major concert halls and music festivals around the world. She is also invited to teach at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, and frequently holds masterclasses and guest teaching sessions worldwide. The Philadelphia PYPA Piano Festival, which she founded in the United States, has now become an internationally renowned music festival, known as the "cradle of future piano masters."

At the age of 13, Ms. Charlotte Hu toured Taiwan and Japan with an orchestra. At 14, she went to the United States alone to study at the Juilliard School. She holds master's and doctoral degrees in performance from the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as a degree from the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in Germany. She has studied under renowned teachers such as Herbert Stessin, Sergei Babayan, and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. At 16, she was invited to perform Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with a symphony orchestra at the Aspen Music Festival in the United States. At 17, she performed Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the United States to a sold-out audience. In the same year, she was invited by the vice chairman of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw to perform a Chopin solo recital at the most historic and representative Chopin Festival in Poland, where she was called a "musician with Chopin's soul" by local Polish newspapers. The music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra invited her to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 and she held dozens of piano recitals in Israel. In addition, she has performed as a guest pianist with orchestras around the world. She won the top prizes at the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the Performing Artists Association Competition, and she has promoted classical music through entrepreneurship and charitable projects, nurturing the next generation of musicians. In addition, Ms. Charlotte Hu has founded two piano festivals spanning two continents: the "Cloud Thinking International Music Festival" in Taipei and the PYPA Piano Festival in Philadelphia. The PYPA Piano Festival, now in its 12th year, has become an important event in the classical music world.

As a soloist, Ms. Charlotte Hu's performances have taken her to the United States, Europe, and Asia, with sold-out concerts in many of the world's top concert halls, including New York's Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Washington's Kennedy Center, Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw, the Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Poland, the Aspen Music Festival in the United States, the Ruhr International Music Festival in Germany, Paris's Philharmonie, London's Southbank Centre, Munich's Herkulessaal, the Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Frankfurt Opera House. In terms of concerto performances, she has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Taiwan Philharmonic, leaving many memorable performances. She has released several albums, with her debut album, "Chopin Works," released by Archi Music, winning the Taiwan Golden Melody Award for "Best Classical Album of the Year." Her albums released in collaboration with Naxos/CAG Records and BMOP/sound have also received high praise. Her Rachmaninoff album, released by Centaur/Naxos, received a five-star review from the UK's Pianist magazine, which called it a "must-listen for Rachmaninoff enthusiasts." Her new album, "Liszt Metamorphosis," has been globally released by PENTATONE.

Professor of Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music, UK  

Former Professor of Piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, UK

Artistic Director of the LOML International Piano Festival, UK

Steinway Artist, Naxos Artist

Ms. BingBing Li has left a profound mark on the world's top stages with her exceptional artistic achievements. Her concert performances have been praised by The Times of London as "abundant and authoritative." As a winner of the Benslow International Pianist Award and the Eastbourne Concerto Competition, she has enriched her participation in significant music festivals around the globe, including those in St. Enda, Meisenthal, and Norfolk, through solo and concerto recitals at world-class venues such as Wigmore Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. As a soloist and in collaboration with orchestras, she has garnered widespread acclaim from audiences at music academies and concert halls across the United States and Europe, solidifying her international standing. Ms. BingBing Li demonstrated extraordinary musical talent from a young age, recording a complete album of Bach's Three-Part Inventions at the age of 10 for Universal Records and holding multiple solo concerts in her home country, winning numerous important awards. In 1998, she entered the preparatory school of the Central Conservatory of Music in China, and during her high school years, she was awarded a full scholarship to study at the renowned Purcell School for Young Musicians in the UK, where she studied under William Fong, a winner of the Busoni International Piano Competition, and Professor Christopher Elton.

After relocating to the UK, her debuts at Wigmore Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall marked the beginning of her rise on the international stage. Since then, she has frequently participated in significant music festivals worldwide, including those in St. Enda, Meisenthal, and Norfolk, collaborating with orchestras such as the Purcell Philharmonic, Chester Symphony, London City Philharmonic, and Elgar Symphony. As a soloist and collaborative artist, she has received widespread acclaim in concert halls across the United States and Europe. Her accomplishments also include being appointed as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in London, where she received multiple awards, full scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate studies, and the performer's title of DipRAM during her time at the institution.

As an educator, Ms. BingBing Li has taught at several prestigious music institutions in the UK, including her first appointment at the Royal Academy of Music in London, followed by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Chetham's School of Music, and the Royal Northern College of Music. She is not only dedicated to teaching but also actively involved in adjudicating international piano competitions. She has conducted masterclasses at top music academies in China, such as the Central Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music, Xiamen University, Shenzhen Arts School, Harbin Conservatory of Music, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Jilin University of the Arts, Qingdao Menuhin School of Music, and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In addition to her role as the artistic director and professor of the 2024 LOML International Piano Festival, Ms. BingBing has showcased her extraordinary musical talent in albums recorded in collaboration with Naxos Records. Her performances are renowned for their imaginative brilliance and have garnered widespread acclaim.

Master's Thesis Advisor at Sun Yat-sen University, China  

Chairman of the World Piano Teachers Association (WPTA) China Chapter  

Dual-major Ph.D. from Northwestern University, USA  

Dr. Zhao has toured and performed around the world, holding two solo recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York. He has also presented solo piano recitals at venues such as the Naples City Hall in Italy, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in Singapore, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, American University in Washington D.C., Tsinghua University's Meng Minwei Concert Hall in Beijing, Guangzhou Opera House, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Xian Concert Hall, Steinway Hall in Dubai, UAE, Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou.  

Dr. Zhao has collaborated with numerous renowned orchestras both domestically and internationally, including the Hungarian Dohnányi Symphony Orchestra, American Alice Miller Baroque Chamber Orchestra, Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in China, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra, Changsha Symphony Orchestra, and Guangxi Symphony Orchestra.  

Many of Dr. Zhao's students have been admitted to prestigious institutions such as the Royal College of Music in the UK, Johns Hopkins University in the USA, University of Southern California (USC), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, University of Arizona, and University of Toronto in Canada.

US-based pianist

Associate Professor of the School of Music, Hainan Normal University

Songyuan Tang has won numerous international competitions, including First Prizes and the Audience Favorite Prize at the Eastman International Piano Competition, as well as First Prize at the Marian Garcia International Piano Competition. He has given concerts in world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Recital Hall, Kodak Hall, Hanxi Grand Theatre, and Xinghai Concert Hall.

Dr. Tang has been a member of the faculty at New Jersey City University since 2017. His students have been admitted to numerous prestigious conservatories, including Yale University, Eastman School of Music, and New England Conservatory.

Dr. Tang received his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded a full scholarship with a teaching assistantship in the Keyboard Department, as well as the Graduate Accompanying Award. His primary piano instructor at Eastman was Douglas Humpherys.

VMAA Artistic Director

VMA International Music Festival Executive Director

Lilia Wu graduated from the Belarusian State Conservatory with majors in piano performance and chamber music performance. Currently serving as the Director of Performing Arts and piano teacher at Vanke Meisha Academy in Shenzhen, as well as the Executive Director of VMA International Piano & Chamber Music Festival. Awarded the title of "Outstanding Teacher in Yantian District" by the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau.

During her studies abroad, Lilia Wu represented VMAA in various university-level activities and events at government embassies. With nearly a decade of study in the Russian school of music, her performances are rich in repertoire, particularly focusing on the treatment and expression of timbre and music, as well as the interpretation of composers and their works, vividly showcasing the characteristics and style of the Russian school. She has participated in numerous large-scale piano solos, two-piano performances, and chamber music concerts.

Currently employed at Vanke Meisha Academy in Shenzhen, she specializes in piano professional teaching for students applying to universities in the UK and US. She uses music to inspire and influence students, and in recent years, many of her students have been admitted to renowned institutions such as The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Johns Hopkins University (Peabody Institute), Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Royal College of Music. Due to her outstanding teaching achievements, she has been invited to serve as a judge for major piano competitions across China and even in Asian regions, while continuing to engage in piano solos, two-piano collaborations, and chamber music performances. She adheres to the integration of teaching and performance to guide students' growth and progress.