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At just seventeen years old, Hao Rao was a finalist and Honorable Mention at the 2021 18th Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, performing Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in the finals under the baton of Andrey Boreyko and drawing praise both internationally and domestically. Jan Popis, special music commentator of the Chopin Competition claimed: “The 17-year-old Chinese boy has been manifesting his naturally charming talent since his first round. His playing is poetic, his legato is beautiful like a song, with a sound full of colors. He’s a great talent!”
Born in the mountainous village of Jishou and beginning his piano studies at the age of four, Hao’s talent was evident from the beginning, and at the age of eight, he began making 32-hour roundtrip commutes to Guangzhou for studies with Dr. Vivian Li at Xinghai Conservatory Middle School where he is currently enrolled as a third-year high school student.
Though still young, Hao Rao has already amassed an impressive resume of competition awards including first prize at the three most prestigious Chinese national piano competitions – Steinway, Pearl River, and Xinghai Cup – as well as top prizes in major international competitions including the Youth Gina Bachauer, E-piano Junior, Krainev, Aarhus, Ettlingen, Beijing Chopin and Zhuhai Mozart. He is also a three-year full scholarship student of the highly exclusive Morningside Music Bridge Program.
His extensive performance experiences have taken him from Asia to Europe and North America in solo and chamber as well as concerto appearances with the China NCPA Orchestra, Orchestra Academia China, Warsaw Philharmonic, Salzburg Chamber Soloists and symphony orchestras of Shenzhen, Ningbo, Shenyang, Guizhou, Central and Xinghai Conservatories, collaborating with conductors Jia Lü, Guoyong Zhang, En Shao, Lin Chen, Huan Jing and Ming Liu.
Outside of piano, Hao loves opera, ballet, pop culture, gourmet, singing, as well as riding roller coaster.
Programme:
Chopin –
Barcarolle in F-sharp Major Op. 60
Waltz in A flat Major Op. 42
Waltz in A flat Major, Op. 64 No. 3
Waltz in F Major Op. 34 No. 3
Scherzo No. 2 Op. 31
Andante Spiniato et Grande Polonaise Op.22
