Biography

Pianist Lixin Zhang has been described as “Galvanic shimmering” (New Zealand Herald) and “Unobtrusive virtuosity with sparkling passage work and always flexible musicianship” (Five Lines Magazine). Having won every major national competition in his home country of New Zealand, he came to attention upon winning the Silver Medal and Second Prize at the 2021 Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition. Lixin has also competed in the prestigious Arthur Rubinstein and Sydney International Piano Competitions. At the age of sixteen, Rattle Records released his debut album, PLAY, which topped the New Zealand classical charts for five weeks. 

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Lixin has performed actively in Europe, North America, Asia, and New Zealand. He has appeared with orchestras such as Bach Musica, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and the Colburn Orchestra, among many others. He has collaborated with conductors such as Benjamin Northey, Rita Paczian, Ross Jamie Collins, and Luke Di Somma. Past performances include appearances at the Aspen Music Festival (USA), PianoTexas Festival (USA), Semaine Internationale Piano et Musique de Chambre (Switzerland), and Deia International Music Festival (Spain). 

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A strong advocate for music education and accessibility, Lixin is the founder of the ToneAce Academy. Conceived in 2022, the institution received a NZ PRESTIGE Award for Music Tuition Provider of the Year in 2023 and 2024. He also initiated the Neville Baird Impact Program, which focuses on helping talented children from underprivileged backgrounds access music education by providing scholarships, music lessons, performance opportunities, and audition support. 

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Lixin is pursuing a Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music under the guidance of Boris Berman. During his first year of study at Yale, he received the Elizabeth Parisot Prize, awarded to outstanding pianists in the School of Music, and was appointed a graduate teaching assistant. Lixin received his Bachelor's degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied under the guidance of Fabio Bidini. Previously, he studied with Michael Endres (former Head of Piano at Hanns Eisler Berlin) and Neville Baird in New Zealand. He has also received mentorship from Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Edith Fischer, Stephen Hough and Alessio Bax.