“A pianist who expresses the greatest joy and wonderment in his playing. Everything comes across as fresh and unhackneyed, as he always has something interesting to convey…” - Music critique from Singapore.
“Wenbin Jin hurls himself into these treacherous waters with due abandon, exploiting the full tonal resources of his instrument, vividly captured with a highly projected treble register. If Liszt played these pieces with the same level of ferocity, it is no wonder that his recitals were a litany of snapped strings and broken hammers” - Gramophone on Wenbin Jin’s Liszt complete 12 Grandes Études.
“Overall, this is a magnificent recording of a formidable set of works… there are so many good things to listen out for here it would be hard not to run out of things to say, so I shall simply say this – in my opinion, this is the best of the currently available recordings of these works. There appears to be nothing that Mr. Jin is not capable of playing, and his virtuosity, technique, and musicianship are phenomenal.” - Musicweb International on Wenbin Jin’s Liszt complete 12 Grandes Études.
Wenbin has given solo recitals, concerto appearances, and chamber music concerts in many different cities and important venues: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (both as chamber musician and soloist), Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, Jordan Hall of New England Conservatory, and the Grand Hall of Seoul Arts Center. He participated in the Millennium Stage of Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Yale in New York, John Adams music premiere in Lincoln Center, Yale Pianists in Steinway Hall, Kumho Young Artist Series, Distinguished Artist Series of GMMFS, Rising Star Series of GMMFS, Yale School of Music Chamber Music Association, and Harvard Chamber Music Series. He has performed with many orchestras such as Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, Macau Symphony Orchestra, Hunan Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and NEC String Chamber Orchestra, collaborating with renowned conductors such as Christian Ehwald, Daye Lin, Lihua Tan, Guoyong Zhang, and Liang Zhang. A regular performer in most national concert halls and theaters, he has given numerous recitals, chamber music concerts, lectures, and concerto appearances in the important halls in major cities of China.
His first compact recording under the label of Naxos features a program of Liszt's Douze Grandes Études S137 and was published in 2017. It has received tremendous positive reviews and acclaim from professionals and music lovers, believed to be the 5th complete recording of this incredibly challenging repertoire in music history.
He is the only pianist who has won major prizes in all three China Major international piano competitions: China International Piano Competition (2nd prize), China Shenzhen Piano Concerto Competition (3rd prize), and China Shanghai International Piano Competition (top prize). In the Shanghai International Piano Competition, he won the top prize, the best performance of commissioned work, and the best Chinese contestant prize. His outstanding achievements led him to receive a distinction scholarship from China's National Cultural Department. Besides, he has won top prizes in the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition, Toyama Piano Competition, and China Golden Bell National Piano Competition.
He is well-known as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician. He has worked closely with Aldo Parisot, Lawrence Lesser, Jian Wang, Miriam Fried, Nobuko Imai, Ani Kavafian, Ettore Causa, and Chu Yibing, performing regularly with renowned musicians such as Ole Akahoshi, Leonard Elschenbroich, Jian Wang, Xi Chen, Yibing Chu, Mo Mo, Dami Kim, and members of Sejong Soloists. He served as a collaborative pianist at GMMFS for the last 9 years and is also the resident pianist of Beijing Contemporary Soloists, an ensemble focused on both Chinese and Western contemporary repertoire.
He started studying piano at the age of 5. At 12, he was admitted to the middle school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under Professor Zhang Jin with the highest remark. He received his B.M at New England Conservatory with academic honor, where he studied with the Chinese/American pianist Hung-Kuan Chen. He received his M.M and Artist Diploma at Yale University, where he studied with Boris Berman. During his time at Yale University, his achievements led him to receive two of the most prestigious school awards: the Elizabeth Parisot Prize for the Best Pianist at Yale School of Music and the Yale School of Music Alumni Association Prize for the most outstanding graduating student.
Wenbin currently serves as director of the performing arts center and piano teacher at Beijing Keystone Academy, Visiting Piano Professor at Soochow University, and Resident Pianist of Beijing Contemporary Soloists. He launched and hosted three successful seasons of the Keystone Concert Series, in which audiences could enjoy Chinese national opera, great Western chamber music, and full-set ballet music. As an educator, he has given lectures and masterclasses at Stetson University, Beijing University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Conservatory of Music, Tongji University, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Guangxi Conservatory of Music, Xiamen University, and more. His online class, "Introduction to Piano Playing," has received more than a hundred thousand viewers on the Tencent Arts platform.
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