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Biography

Chinese/American pianist Ning Lu is a recitalist, chamber-music collaborator, orchestral soloist, educator, and competition adjudicator who has been hailed a “true talent of his generation.” In keeping with the instructional practices characteristic of the Russian piano tradition, to which his teachers added Chinese keyboard techniques, Ning began playing the piano when he was just four years old. At age ten, he continued his musical studies at the middle school attached to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Pinguo Zhao, the same instructor who has taught well-known contemporary Chinese pianists Lang Lang and Yuja Wang.

Winner of the China National Piano Competition and The Beijing Central Conservatory of Music Piano Competition in the 80s, Ning Lu has also won many major competitions in the US, including the International Tourgee-Debose Piano Competition in Louisiana; the 29th National Young Artist Competition in Midland-Odessa, Texas; the Kingsville International Young Performer's Competition; and the 2nd Annual Audio-Video Recording International Piano Competition in New York City. He has performed over four hundred recitals in countries throughout the world, including Germany, Austria, Poland, Scotland, the UK, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, Canada, China, and the USA.

Ning Lu has presented master classes/recitals in many universities abroad, including the Frankfurt Conservatory of Music and the Mannheim Conservatory of Music in Germany; the Haydn Conservatory of Music in Eisenstaedt, Austria; Brandon University in Brandon, Canada; and the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo, Japan. In the United States, he has performed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas; the University of California at Santa Barbara; Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; the University of Oklahoma at Norman; the University of Texas at San Antonio; Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana; California State University in Northridge; Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia; the University of Nevada; Brigham Young University in Provo and Hawaii; Utah State University in Logan, Weber State University in Ogden, and Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. In China, Ning Lu has performed and taught in all major conservatories, including Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Tianjing Conservatory of Music, and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He regularly acts as visiting professor of piano at both the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and at Nanjing Normal University.

Currently, Professor Lu is a full professor at the School of Music University of Utah.

Courses Taught

• Piano - Private Lessons
• Keyboard Skills I & II
• Class Piano Teaching Seminar
• Advanced Piano Pedagogy

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Creative Activities

Founder and executive director, Annual Utah International Music Academy at the School of Music, University of Utah, July 2013 – present, I have raised fund over $50,000 to support this event since 2013.

Artistic director of the Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Competition at the School of Music, University of Utah, July 2013 – present, I have raised fund over $52,000 to support this event since 2013.

Director, SummerArts Piano Competition at the School of Music, University of Utah, August 2007 – present, I have raised fund over $20,000 to support this event since 2017.

Host and present piano solo performance and the China Audition of 2019 Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Competition in Guangzhou, China; Pleyel Piano Center Concert Hall; Guangzhou, China; May 24, 2019

Host and give a piano solo performance and the Award Ceremony & Concert of Helen Taylor Johannesen Utah International Piano Academy and Festival 2019 in Hong Kong at the China Congregational Church Concert Hall; Hong Kong, China; May 18, 2019

Present piano duo recitals and performance demonstrations; Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, November 8; Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Piano Department, November 11 & 12; Jinan University in Guangzhou, College of Fine Arts, Music Department, November 15 & 16; University of Guangzhou, College of Dance and Music, November 17; Program included Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos, K 448, Ravel La Valse for Two Pianos; China tour as invited guest artist; November 6 – 19, 2017

Piano solo and duo recital; The Pro Series opening concert of 2016 – 2017, 2018 - 2019 session; Lorne Watson Recital Hall, School of Music, Brandon University; Brandon Canada; 2016 & 2018

Piano duo recital; Concert Piano Series at the Tulane University; Dixon Hall at the Newcomb Department of Music, Tulane University; New Orleans, Louisiana in 2021.

Piano chamber recitals at the Gallivan Center “Excellence Concert Series”; Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City downtown and Jewish Community Center in 2018

From 2018, I have two graduate students won the MTNA Performance Competition Southwest Regional Competition; a piano duo team has advanced three times in the MTNA National Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition Final; a chamber group was in the MTNA National Final.

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Orchestral Engagements

• Utah Symphony
• American Fork Symphony Orchestra
• American West Symphony
• Salt Lake Symphony
• Tahoe Orchestra
• Oquirrh Mountain Symphony
• Equerry Mountain Symphony
• Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada
• Canadian Sinfonietta in Canada
• San Luis Potosi Symphony Orchestra in Mexico

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Professor Lu is a highly sought-after piano teacher in both the US and China, an outstanding educator whose students have won major prizes in international and national competitions, many of them have performed with major symphony orchestras.  Here are some of the highlights of my students’ achievements:

            Students' Sucess Piano Competition Winners

• MTNA Performance Competition Junior Division First Prize 2021
• MTNA Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition 2021(First Prize), 2022 (Third Prize)
• MTNA Chamber Music Competition Finalist 2021
• MTNA Performance Competition College and precollege divisions Finalists (including second and third prizes) since 2015
• MTNA Performance Competition, Duet, Third Prize (2022), Finalist (2021)
• UMTA State Concerto Competition College and precollege divisions since 2000
• Olga Kern International Piano Competition
• San Jose International Piano Competition
• International Livorno Piano Competition in Italy
• Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition in NYC
• American Protégé International Piano Competition in NYC
• Tourgee DeBose National Piano Competition
• The Great Composers Competition
• Steinway Piano National Competition
• New York Debut Young Musicians Competition
• International Music Competition ‘Vienna’ Grand Prize Virtuoso
• ENKOR Int’l Music Competition in Germany
• Dubois International Piano Competition
• Seattle International Piano Competition
• Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition
• Cleveland International Young Artist Competition
• Louisiana International Junior Piano Competition
• Los Angeles Young Musician International Competition
• The Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Competition
• SummerArts Piano Competition
• Salute to Youth Concerto Competition
• Rebecca Marriott Champion Piano Competition
• 2022 Canadian International Music Competition, Artist Category (Piano) Platinum Medal
• 2022 Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition First Prize (Gold Medal)