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Conservatoire star to rise over Europe

4478/JK 21 November 2007

Chinese piano student Di Xiao has been named a European Rising Star, an accolade which comes with a full schedule of concert bookings in Europe’s major concert halls during 2008/9. Di studies at Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, where she completed an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (Professional Performance) in 2006, winning all the major prizes. She now has Advanced Study lessons with Margaret Fingerhut, Professor Malcolm Wilson and Professor Mark Racz. She was nominated for the Rising Stars series by Symphony Hall.

Professor Racz, who is also the Conservatoire’s Vice-Principal, said:

"Didi is one of the very finest young musicians we have had at the Conservatoire in recent years, and we are delighted that she has been chosen for this very prestigious scheme. Teaching her has been a great pleasure and inspiration, and we look forward to working with her as her career develops."

The European Rising Stars series was inaugurated by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) in 1996. The principal halls participating in ECHO are the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, Philharmonie Cologne, Cité de la musique Paris, Megaron Athens, Konserthus Stockholm, Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Symphony Hall Birmingham and Carnegie Hall, New York – the only non-European member of ECHO. The Series features young artists, nominated by each of the participating concert halls, who are considered to be on the threshold of international careers.

Outstanding young artists selected over the last ten seasons have included many names now well-known in the Classical music world: violinists Janine Jansen, Priya Mitchell and Renaud Capuçon, cellists Daniel Müller-Schott, Quirine Viersen and Alisa Weilerstein, flautist Emanuel Pahud, the Belcea and Tempera string quartets, the Eroica and Eggner piano trios, Leopold String Trio, harpist Lavinia Meijer, organist David Briggs and the bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu.

Symphony Hall was a founder member of ECHO and its director, Andrew Jowett, says that the importance of the Rising Stars series cannot be over-estimated.

“You have only to look at some of the names – Janine Jansen, Jonathan Lemalu and the Belcea Quartet, for instance – who have become virtually household names with a collection of CDs to their names already, for the proof. Just imagine how valuable it is for these young people to have the opportunity to gain artistic experience on the most important international concert platforms, to play to audiences in the world’s greatest concert halls, and to be able to add to their CVs that they have done so. And as they travel around Europe the possibilities of meeting and impressing concert agents is immense.”

Di Xiao was born in 1980 and began her musical studies at the age of four. Two years later she won a major prize in the Pearl River Children’s Piano Competition. Before enrolling at the Conservatoire on a full scholarship, her education included studies with Professors AM Bougaevski and GV Popova at Guangzhou Conservatoire’s associated secondary music school, plus further study at the Odessa Conservatoire (Ukraine) and the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing). Graduating from the Central Conservatory with one of the highest final recital marks in its history, she then chose to complete her training at Birmingham Conservatoire on the prestigious Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (Professional Performance) course, which she completed with Distinction. In addition to various Conservatoire prizes – including the Symphony Hall Recital Prize – Di has recently won first prize at the Brant International Piano Competition, and been awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

Di Xiao believes living and studying in Birmingham has helped her develop as a musician:

“Over the last two years, living in the multicultural city of Birmingham and studying at the Conservatoire has helped my playing immensely. The accessibility of my motivational tutors and mentors has been of great help. The opportunity to play recitals, concerts, work with the orchestra and enter competitions at an international level has helped me to grow as a performer and has given a real boost to my career. Additionally, the proximity of Symphony Hall has been a huge source of inspiration.”

Symphony Hall Director Andrew Jowett adds:

“I am especially excited about Di Xiao as Symphony Hall’s nomination because, ever since winning the Symphony Hall Prize last year, her progress has been remarkable. She is, in my opinion, an outstanding product of a British conservatoire and we have been immensely impressed after hearing her in recital and with orchestra. Introducing her to Alfred Brendel, who was kind enough to advise her during the course of an hour-long masterclass, was one of those chance-of-a-lifetime opportunities. I had no hesitation in recommending her wholeheartedly to my ECHO colleagues, and I am sure she will impress audiences throughout the rest of Europe on her tour next season.”

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