Hechengzi Li

Hechengzi (Chengzi) Li

“Chengzi belongs to a very rare breed of musicians blessed with innate gift of performing music as if they are improvising it spontaneously, creating highly imaginative sound picture. As a result music speaks directly from her heart” Sergei Babayan

“Born to bloom on stage, born for Piano. A true performer who has the sincerest heart towards music, composer, stage, audiences and herself”. - Music Weekly Magazine: Meng Qi, journalist and music critic.

“The rising star is in the spotlight, telling stories with every note she plays, and every note comes from her heart with a passionate and ebullient love towards music…She lived and breathed her craft and, in doing so, bloomed on the spot in the limelight” - New York Weekly Magazine

“It was my first time to see a pianist like this; Such amazing personality, simple, brave, pure, honest and sincere. Every note from her has a story and a character, she can make me lost in her music” - Shimin Zhao, music critic, Host of CCTV Lecture shows in China.

A Young Steinway Artist, the Chinese pianist Hechengzi Li (Chengzi), was featured on the cover of the World of Music magazine and described as “ the rising star, the genuine and passionate storyteller through music.”                     Beginning her piano studies at the age of two, Chengzi was the grand prize winner in the toddler-group of Liu Shikun International Piano Competition at the age of three. Chengzi was introduced as a music prodigy on the cover of Eastern Airline Magazine at just five years old. In 2019, Chengzi’s first solo album performing the works of Scriabin, Stravinsky, and Chopin was released internationally by STARSING Media Group. While receiving top reviews from news reports such as Xi’an Music Weekly, New York Weekly, Chengzi was presented on headline features on multiple media websites such as Sohu and Tencent News. Having toured in China performing solo recitals and being featured as a soloist with the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra, in 2021 Chengzi became the youngest signed solo artist to ShaanXi Symphony Orchestra.Chengzi is also featured as soloist with major orchestras such as Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Danube Symphony Orchestra and more. Chengzi is also highly active in chamber music performances. She is the artist from the piano trio group Trio Ivoire and the duo group Synergy Duo. Both groups have been performing actively in the US since 2022. Also interested in contemporary music, Chengzi’s duo Group Synergy Duo toured in the US and gave a recital program consisting of an all-contemporary program in 2023. Chengzi premiered her own composition, “Inside an Unreal Forest,” at New York City’s Merkin Hall in 2015. While frequently premiering composer’s works, Chengzi has also often collaborated and performed with AXIOM and The Focus Festival at The Juilliard School premier living composers’ works.

Chengzi has served as a jury member of multiple piano competitions, including 2021 Youth International Piano Competition (ShaanXi), 2023 SIPC Singapore International Piano Competition, and 2023 MGNS European International Music Competition and more. In 2017, Chengzi was also invited to be the image ambassador of the International Gaibairi Piano Competition. Because of her dedication in working with young rising musicians who are passionate to hone their craft, Chengzi has worked as a teaching artist at multiple organisations, such as being the associate professor at Globe Association of Music Education; Shaanxi Musicians Association, and more. In 2021 Chengzi held her online lessons and master classes across China and participated as guest lecturer at multiple online courses such as “ Debussy, in memory of birth 160th year, lectures and concerts” in Xi’an. Pursuing her deep interest in the topic of the art of interpretations, Chengzi had publications in magazines such as “The World of Music,” “ Frontiers in Art Researches,”The Frontiers of Society science and Technology” and more. In 2022, Chengzi joined the faculty of Future Music Academy. At the same year, she released her second album ,“Bloom,” from her “Cheng” Record Series.

Chengzi’s performances have gained praise from media outlets and were presented on headlines features on multiple websites such as Teasant News, Xi’an Worldy Cover, Beijing Music Weekly, Artdaily, Shanxi Music World, Xian Evening News, Xian News Network, Tencent News, SOHU, Westerm Net, and more. As well as famous music critics and journalists such as Shimin Zhao, Anchao Wang, Qi Meng and more.   Chengzi is an artist of The Artemisia Foundation and M.U.S.I.C - Stars in the Classics, a foundation ‘dedicated to presenting extraordinarily gifted pianists in major concert venues’ and ‘providing opportunities for emerging, world-class musicians’ . A recipient of the Gucci Founation Scholarship, in 2015, she was accepted to Juilliard’s college division exceptionally at the age of 16, studying with Sergei Babayan, and having previously studied in the Pre-College division at Juilliard with Matti Raekallio and Hung-kuan Chen. In 2021, Chengzi was admitted with full scholarship to Cleveland Institute of Music at the age of 22 and had finished Artist Diploma degree under the guidance of Sergei Babayan. In the Sumer of 2023, as a winner of three different competitions, four different special awards, including the winner of Manhattan International Piano Competition and winner of Ivo Pogorelich Award, Chengzi had just made her debut in Carnegie hall in July, 2023.