Tianxu An, from Baoding, near Beijing, is a sought-after young artist, both at home in China and around the world. In June 2019, Tianxu drew international attention when he won the Fourth Prize and a “Special Prize for Courage and Restraint” at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition — the highest award for a Chinese pianist at that contest in 17 years. A month later, he made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center.

Recent concert highlights include performances with the Mariinsky, China Philharmonic, NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts), and Macau Orchestras, as well as a 2021 major recital tour across China. His first CD was recorded in August 2021, a recital album featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. He previously won top awards at the Greenfield Student, “Helen Cup” Shanghai International Piano, and Wiesbaden International Piano Competitions.

Born into a non-musical family, Tianxu began his piano studies because his parents believed it a good way to develop intelligence. His love for and commitment to music grew throughout his time at the Middle School affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He moved to Philadelphia in 2015 to attend the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Meng-Chieh Liu and Robert McDonald, and also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. 2022 marks Tianxu’s graduation from Curtis and move to Juilliard to pursue his master’s degree. In his own words, he devotes his career to music because of the fact that “music is a powerful language which establishes a deeply emotional bond among people.”