On Friday 23rd January, the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition host a concert at King Charles the Martyr to raise funds towards the 2026 competition. Winner in 2024, pianist Xu Peng returns to Tunbridge Wells to showcase the phenmomal talent that amazed the judging panel.
Hear him for yourself! Tickets available now.
Xu Peng started playing piano at the age of four. In 2008, Xu entered the
Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied with Zhang
Zhiwei. He received his MM and BM from the class of Jon Kimura Parker
at Rice University (Houston, TX), where he also graduated with a Minor
in French Studies and a Special Distinction in Creative Research.
Having
completed his AD at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London)
under the tutelage of Noriko Ogawa and Ronan O’Hora in May 2025, Xu
is currently pursusing a Research Degree at the same institution, with a
thesis on Debussy and Jankélévitch.
Xu is the winner at the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition
and the Macau-Asia International Piano Competition. Recently, Peng was
also awarded the Golden Hand Prize with Special Jury Mention at the
Carlos&Sofia Piano Competition, and Second Prize at the William Knabe
Piano Concerto Competition.
Xu has performed recitals at notable venues, including the Barbican in
London, the Stoller hall in Manchester, the Stude Concert Hall in
Houston, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. His interest in
contemporary music has led to collaborations with composers and visual
artists, presenting new compositions in thematic recitals and
interdisciplinary productions at the Moody Center for the Visual Art in
Houston. Xu made his concerto debut in 2019 with Khachaturian’s Piano
Concerto in D-flat Minor.
