Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 Op. 30 No. 2 in C minor
Debussy: Violin Sonata
Strauss: Violin Sonata in E flat major

Born in Hangzhou, China, violinist Qian Zhou had her early training at the Shanghai Conservatory, winning first prize in the China National Competition in 1984. In 1985, she went to the United States where she completed her studies with Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Conservatory, before being also personally mentored by Piero Weiss

At the age of only 18, Qian Zhou received instant world-wide recognition with her brilliant triumph at the 1987 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, breaking all precedent in the competition's 50-year history by winning the First Grand Prize and all five major prizes. Her victory and the international attention it drew enabled her immediate access to the major halls and performing opportunities around the globe.

For more than twenty years, she has been a frequent recitalist and soloist with orchestras in Europe, United States, Asia and Africa. Past engagements include concerts with the Baltimore Symphony and Chamber, Beijing Central Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish, Bournemouth Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, National Orchestra of Ile de France, New Japan Philharmonic, Osaka Symphony, Rome Symphony, Russian Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, Spanish National, Taipei Symphony and the Vienna Chamber Orchestras amongst others while recital highlights include performances at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and the Vienna Concert Hall. While the Washington Post praised “her expressive talents, fluid phrases and delicate, at times almost weeping, vibrato, ” Le Figaro commended her "great violin playing”, acknowledging her as “a very great artist", and La Nazione in Florence noted “her performance was an inspired force…accompanied by a technical polish, communicative capacity, and an expressive candor that was absolutely enchanting”. After a performance at the Evian Festival under Rostropovich, the Dauphiné Libéré offered “she is a poet in the etymological sense: one who creates beauty and happiness."

Ning An is that rare pianist – musician who “combines flawless technique and mastery of the instrument with an expressive power that is fueled by profound and insightful understanding” (New York Concert Review). His top prizes from the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Cleveland International, William Kapell, and the National Chopin Piano competitions led to performances on three continents at prestigious venues such as Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Salle Verdi (Milan), and the Great Hall of the People (Beijing).  He has been invited to perform at numerous festivals including the International Chopin Festival in Duszinski, Poland, the Gina Bachauer Piano Festival in Salt Lake City, New Hampshire’s Monadnock Music Festival, the Bourglinster Festival in Luxembourg, and the Interlaken Music Festival in Switzerland.  A passionate chamber musician as well as soloist, Mr. An has performed with such ensembles as the Ysaÿe, Daedalus, and Takács Quartets, and with such instrumentalists as James Buswell, Paul Neubauer, Andres Diaz and James Ehnes.

Since making his orchestral debut at the age of 16 with the Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. An has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Tivoli Symphony Orchestra, the Belgian National Symphony, the Flemish Radio Symphony, and many more, under the batons of conductors such as Vladimir Fedoseyev, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.  As well, Mr. An was a featured soloist during the Warsaw Philharmonic’s 100th Anniversary American Tour under Maestro Kazimierz Kord.

Ning An’s additional accolades have included top prizes in the Paloma O’Shea Santander Competition, the Tivoli International Piano Competition, the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition, the American Pianists Association as well as receiving the Alfred Cortot Prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition.

Mr. An began his musical studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Olga Radosavljevich and Sergei Babayan.  Subsequently, Mr. An continued his studies under the tutelage of Russell Sherman at the New England Conservatory of Music.

A frequent guest lecturer, Mr. An has given masterclasses throughout the United States and Asia.  Currently he serves as the Artist-Teacher on the piano faculty of California State University, Fullerton as well as a visiting artist at Lee University in Tennessee.