Klavierduo Luminara

Qin Jiachen

Chinese-German Concert Pianist

Born in 1999, Qin Jiachen demonstrated exceptional musical talent from early childhood. She began piano studies at five and was admitted with distinction to the Affiliated Primary School of the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in 2009 under Professor Zhang Xinning. In 2012, she advanced to the CCOM Affiliated Middle School for further studies with Dr. Wang Xiaohan, a renowned Chinese-German pianist. Throughout her academic years, she received multiple scholarships including the Outstanding Student Award and Fan Jianqin Memorial Scholarship, with frequent selections for CCOM’s Piano Department Honors Recitals.

Her artistic development has been guided by eminent international masters, including Chinese piano doyennes Professors Zhou Guangren and Li Qifang, concert pianists Yuja Wang and Chen Sa, as well as Klaus Hellwig, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Pavel Gililov, Björn Lehmann, Kurt Seibert, Matti Raekallio, Fabio Bidini, Lazar Berman, and Jeffrey Cohen. In 2015, she was selected for the prestigious *Morningside Music Bridge* program, receiving mentorship from Li Xing, Krzysztof Jablonski, and John Perry. She performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall during the 2016 Los Angeles Music Festival.

**MAJOR AWARDS** - **2016 Steingraeber & Söhne Schumann Int’l Youth Piano Competition**: • 2nd Prize (Asia-Pacific Div. Group A6) | 1st Prize (Schumann Group 6) • Triple Champion: Bach/Chopin Scherzo/Schumann Categories (Beijing-Tianjin Youth Div.) - **2016**: • 3rd Prize, 12th CCOM "Concerto Competition" (1st Prize vacant) • 3rd Prize, Yamaha Asia Music Scholarship - **2020**: Special Prize (Chamber Music Group C), Davorin Jenko Int’l Competition (Belgrade) - **2024 International Honors**: 🥇 Gold, Salzburg Int’l Music Grand Prix (Austria) 🥇 Gold, Barcelona Int’l Music Competition (Spain) 🥉 3rd Prize, Vienna Int’l Classical Piano Competition (Group C) 🥇 1st Prize, Music Talent & Performance Award (Hong Kong) 🥈 Silver, 13th Rosario Marciano Int’l Piano Competition (Vienna)

**PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT** In 2017, she enrolled at the Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK), studying under Prof. Rainer Becker and Prof. Christian Petersen. Her international performances span China, Hong Kong, Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and the USA.

In June 2025, she co-founded the piano duo **Luminara** with her husband, and was admitted to Mozarteum University Salzburg for a Master’s in **Piano Duo Performance**，studying with the legendary piano duo Prof. Yaara Tal & Andreas Groethuysen (exclusive Sony Classical artists).

As guest artist at Mozarthaus Vienna’s 2024 Spring Festival, her 2025 highlights include solo recitals in Barcelona (February) and Bremen’s Brahms Festival (May).

**ARTISTIC IDENTITY** Renowned for nuanced tonal poetry and profound expressiveness, Qin synthesizes German precision with Eastern lyricism. This rising artist embodies technical mastery and imaginative depth, establishing her as a distinctive voice among today’s leading young pianists.

Kaiwen Zhao – Pianist Born in 2000, Kaiwen Zhao began his musical journey at the age of three, devoting himself to the piano with remarkable passion and discipline. From the outset, his exceptional talent was recognized and praised by professors and audiences alike. At the age of twelve, he was admitted to the prestigious Middle School affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied under the esteemed Professor Jin Zhang. During his years there, he not only excelled academically and artistically but was also awarded the Fan Jianqin Scholarship and the Tan Xiaowei Scholarship, in recognition of his outstanding musical achievements and potential. Throughout his formative years in Beijing, Kaiwen garnered numerous accolades, having won virtually every major national piano competition in China. Among these are first prizes at the national “Xinghai Cup” and the “Pearl River Kayserburg” competitions. On the international stage, he made a striking impression by winning the Second Prize and Silver Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. He also received prizes at the Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Competition, reached the semifinals of the prestigious Isang Yun International Piano Competition in Tongyeong, South Korea, and was awarded the Special Prize for Outstanding Performance of a Ukrainian Composer at the International Piano Competition in memory of Vladimir Horowitz. In 2017, he was invited to give a widely acclaimed solo recital at the Salle Cortot in Paris, earning high praise from the press: “His technical virtuosity and the playful, jubilant joy of music-making were exhilarating.” Thanks to his outstanding artistic maturity, Kaiwen Zhao was selected three times for the distinguished Morningside Music Bridge program – an initiative dedicated to nurturing the most gifted young musicians worldwide. In 2024, he was named a finalist in the concluding concert of the Eppan Piano Academy, further affirming his status as an artist of exceptional promise. In 2022, Kaiwen won Second Prize at the Chieti Classica International Piano Competition, a testament to his unwavering pursuit of musical excellence. In 2024, he was invited to participate in the prestigious Dubai International Piano Competition. Since 2017, he has studied under the renowned Professor Pavel Gililov at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2022 and completed his Master’s degree in Piano Solo Performance in 2025 – both with the highest distinction (1.0).

His artistry has captivated audiences across China, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United States and Austria. As a soloist, he has performed with esteemed ensembles including the Utah Symphony Orchestra and the New Russian National Symphony Orchestra, further cementing his reputation as a charismatic and versatile performer. In early 2025, Kaiwen Zhao co-founded the Luminara Piano Duo with his newlywed wife, Germany-based pianist Qin Jiachen. That same year, they were the only ensemble accepted into the highly selective Master’s program in Piano Duo Chamber Music at the University Mozarteum, where they currently study under the internationally acclaimed duo Tal & Groethuysen. Driven by a deep passion for music and a relentless pursuit of excellence, Kaiwen Zhao continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his rare combination of technical brilliance, emotional depth, and artistic integrity.