Born
in Rochester, New York, 20 year old pianist Claire
Huangci astonishes all who hear her perform. Coming from a family of
scientists, Claire received a grand piano for her 6th year birthday present,
and after exploring the instrument herself for the first year, she began
taking lessons when she was 7. And in the same year, she was featured
on FOX news as a child prodigy with “the skills of a professional pianist.”
During her studies, Claire was awarded with a number of scholarships and won
many competitions, including the Grand Prize at 1999 World Piano
Competition. As a result, she performed in the gala concert with the World
Festival Orchestra in Cincinnati Ohio and in a winner’s concert at Carnegie
Hall. Continuing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, she went on
to win the Philadelphia Orchestra Competition and performed with the
Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, one of dozens
of American orchestras she has appeared with.
In April 2006, Claire won the first prize in the 57th Kosciuszko Chopin
International Piano Competition in New York City. She then performed in
numerous solo recitals and concerto appearances throughout the USA. The 2006
Hamamatsu International Piano Competition introduced Claire to the Japanese
audiences; she was awarded the Diploma of Outstanding Merit and was the
favorite for many spectators.
The
2007 season was a milestone in Claire Huangci’s career. She made her first
appearances in Europe with solo performances in Munich (Herkulessaal),
Frankfurt, Leipzig (Gewandhaus), and Paris (Salle Cortot). In addition,
Claire gave her debut with China Philharmonic. In April, she toured
Switzerland and Germany, performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with
Südwestdeutsche.
The 2008-2009 season brought Claire in solo and
concerto performances to various venues and festivals in Europe, Africa,
Asia, and America, including performances at Vienna Konzerthaus, Mozarteum
Salzburg, Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, Aspen Festival, Chopin Duszniki
Festival, Kissinger KlavierOlympiade and Yokohama Music Festival.
Following an outstanding debut at the 2009 Schwetzinger Festspiele, Claire
performed the Pre-Opening Concert at the Kissinger Sommer. Her 2009-10
season opened with Grieg’s Piano Concerto at the Tonhalle Zurich with the
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow under the baton of Vladimir
Fedosseyev. She will appear in further concerts throughout Europe, the
United States and Asia, including a China tour with the Radio-Sinfonieorchester
Stuttgart under Sir Roger Norrington, during which she will perform
Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at the opening of the Shanghai Expo.
Claire Huangci currently continues her music education in Germany at the
Hannover Hochschule für Musik with Arie Vardi and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling.
Her most recent honors include winning the International Chopin-Comeptition
in Darmstadt/Germany in October 2009, and the prestigious First Prize at
the USA National Chopin Piano Competition in March 2010 for her
distinguished Chopin interpretations.
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