One of Australia’s leading pianists, Kristian Chong has performed throughout Australia and the United Kingdom as well as in China, France, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, America and Zimbabwe. His wideranging performance schedule finds him equally at home as concerto soloist, chamber musician and recitalist. As a soloist he has appeared with the Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and orchestras in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and China, with recent performances including Saint- Saëns 2nd and Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Described by The Age as ‘a true chamber musician at work’, Kristian’s collaborations include the Tinalley and Australian String Quartets, Li-Wei Qin, Vadim Gluzman, Sophie Rowell, Dale Barltrop, Daniel Dodds, Natsuko Yoshimoto and Satu Vänskä, Megan Sterling and baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes (with whom he has recorded for ABC Classics). His festival appearances include the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Adelaide Festival, Huntington Estate Music Festival, Mimir Chamber Music Festival and Bangalow Festival. Other solo and chamber highlights include Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, Australian Music Week on Gulangyu Island (Xiamen, China) with the Melbourne Symphony and the ‘Kristian Chong and Friends’ series at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Kristian studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Piers Lane and Christopher Elton, as well as with Stephen McIntyre at the University of Melbourne, where he currently teaches piano and chamber music. Competition successes include the Symphony Australia Young Performers Award (keyboard) and joint-recipient of the 2000 Australian National Piano Award First Prize.