SIMA Classics would like to present a solo recital by internationally acclaimed pianist and prize winner, Jianing Kong.
Chinese pianist Jianing Kong has performed to great critical acclaim throughout the UK, Continental Europe, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. He is a prizewinner of many of the most prestigious international piano competitions such as the 2008 Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artist Competition, 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition, 2013 Valsesia International Piano Competition, 2014 Scottish International Piano Competition, and the 2015 Santander Piano Competition. He was a finalist at the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition, where also won the Ignaz Friedman best semi-final recital prize and the best Mozart concerto prize.
Jianing gave his London debut in 2003, performing Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with the Purcell Symphony Orchestra at the Duke’s Hall (Royal Academy of Music). Since then, he has given performances at festivals and major venues across the U.K. and the European continent including Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Purcell Room, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, St. John’s Smith Square, St. James’ Piccadilly, Draper’s Hall, Steinway Hall (London), Brighton Festival, Chipping-Campden Festival, Leeds Town Hall, Mitchell Library (Glasgow), Gasteig (Munich), Salle Cortot (Paris), Bechstein Centrum (Frankfurt) and the Bolshoi Hall (Moscow Conservatoire).
As a concerto soloist, Jianing has appeared with the Halle Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Royal de Chambre Wollone, Orquesta Sinfónica de Radiotelevisión Espanõla, Scottish National Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Dominican Republic. In 2008, Jianing gave the world-premiere of Harris Kittos’ Vessel Tale in collaboration with the RCM Sinfonietta, and he was also invited to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto under Paul Daniel at the Royal Festival Hall, as part of the Purcell School’s Fifty Years Anniversary Gala concert.
In the pre-pandemic season of 2018-19, Jianing gave several much-acclaimed tours in Spain, performing in major concert venues in Madrid, Seville, Córdoba, Santander, Bilbao, as well as a highly successful tour in New Zealand. In 2020. He also embarked on an epic project of recording the complete Beethoven sonatas for the commemoration of composer's 250th birth Anniversary.
During covid-19 period, Jianing made several visits back to his home country, giving performances in all the leading concert halls of the countries such as the National Performing Centre in Beijing, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert hall, Qintai Concert hall in Wuhan, Xinghai Concert hall in Guangzhou; as well as appearing as soloist in concerto performances with Mastro Lü Jia, James.P.Liu, Yuan Ding, to name but a few. Jianing had brought live music to many cities during this difficult time and a much wider audiences had becoming drawn to his playing. Future visits include a major concert tour in 2022-23.
Jianing first studied at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou and was offered a full scholarship to study at the Purcell School in 2002, where he worked with the legendary British pianist Ronald Smith. He went on to study at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 2011 with both BMus, MMus degrees as well as the prestigious Artist Diploma. His teachers at the RCM included Ruth Nye, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, and Dmitri Alexeev. He also received regular coaching and mentoring from the renowned Chinese pianist Fou Ts’ong.
Apart from a busy performing schedule, Jianing also enjoyed teaching and working with the younger generations of musicians. He joined the piano faculty at the Purcell School in 2011; and in 2018, he was appointed Professor of Piano at Royal College of Music, London, the first Chinese to hold such a position.