Pianist Yichun Sheng is the Grand Prize Winner of both the 2026 US-Canadian International Piano Competition and the 2026 Grand Metropolitan International Piano Competition, the Absolute Platinum Medalist of the 2026 Nobel-Artist International Piano Competition, and a Winner of the North American Virtuoso International Piano Competition. He also won the Star Grand Prize at the 2026 New York Classic Piano Competition and Second Prize at the New York International Classical Music Competition (NYICMC). He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and Auditorium San Luigi in Italy, and his recordings are available on YouTube Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Sheng is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at Shenandoah University on a full scholarship. He studies with Irish pianist John O’Conor, a protégé of Wilhelm Kempff and the unanimous First Prize winner of the 1973 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna. Sheng earned his Master of Music degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York, where he studied with Simone Dinnerstein and received the school’s Steinway Prize. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.
Sheng has performed solo and concerto works in the United States and China, including with the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra and the Texas Symphony Orchestra. Known for his expressive stage presence and imaginative interpretations, he approaches performance as a dialogue among composer, performer, and audience. Drawing on his Chinese heritage and artistic experiences in New York, he brings intellectual depth and emotional sincerity to his interpretations.