An evening at the Piano with Zhao Yangmingtian

Theatre Lawrence Concert: October 24, 7:30pm

About Ming Tian

Theatre Lawrence presents the third concert in the Dave and Gunda Heibert Concert Series.

21-year-old Zhao YangMingTian has been hailed as 'an elegant and sincere artist with a sensitive… magic touch designed for an international career'. Mingtian was born in Hainan, China, and started learning the piano at the tender age of four and half. By 13, he had been accepted by the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, and began studying with renowned pianists Chen Bigang and Ling Yuan. Subsequently, as a recipient of the Lee Foundation Talent Scholarship, he spent two years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, honing his performance skills under Mr. Benjamin Loh. In 2014, Mingtian received his bachelor degree at the University of Kansas, under mentorship of Steinway Artist Steven Spooner. Mingtian is presently a full-scholarship holder and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Rice University under distinctive pianist Dr. Robert Roux.

Since taking part in the Hong Kong Mozart Competition in 2003, where he was the Second Prizewinner, Ming Tian has received numerous international accolades. He won the Gold Award at the China Central Television's Youth Piano Competition in 2004, as well as the "Kadenza" Youth Competition in China three years later, where he was also the First Prizewinner. In 2010, at the inaugural International Chopin Piano Competition held in Singapore, Ming Tian charmed a local audience and an international jury to sweep both the Audience Prize as well as the Second Prize. A local reviewer praised the "vast palette of sound and emotions" displayed in his "awe-inspiring" performance. A year later, Ming Tian again won the Audience Prize and was placed Second in The International Institute for Young Musicians International Piano Competition 2011 held in Lawrence, Kansas. In 2012, he was second runner-up at the World International Piano Competition; at the Golden Era of Romantic Music International Competition, held in celebration of the bicentenary of Franz Liszt, he won the First Prize – this led to a successful debut at Carnegie Hall in May 2012.

Ming Tian has been slated to appear in several concerts in various countries including USA, Hungary, Singapore, Germany, Russia, and China. The prestigious venues such as the Carnegie Hall in New York, Esplanade in Singapore, Kauffman Center in Kansas , Opera House in Hainan, China. In 2011, after his solo recital at the Esplanade Recital Hall, a local newspaper carried the following comment: "Ever wondered what celebrity pianists Lang Lang and Li Yundi were like before they became really famous?

Despite his youth, this teen sensation is also active in piano pedagogy, with a particular focus on the technical aspects of performance. In the summer of 2011, he held a masterclass-cum-lecture on piano technique at the Piano Association in Hainan, China. Subsequently, he was then invited to conduct a series of masterclasses in the University of Hainan. In 2014, Mingtian successfully gave a lecture in Singapore.

His first solo album Memories of a Dream, was officially released in August 2011 and the life story of Ming Tian has been published in the books "People of KU" and KU Alumni.
Away from the music, Mingtian is also active in fashion. He is the face of Korean fashion brand 'TheLees' and appeared in several fashion blogs and interviews.