Shan-shan Sun Biography

BIOGRAPHY

The Miami Herald recently observed, "Sun's intensity brought to mind Alicia De Larrocha's visionary Mozart interpretations". Pianist Shan-shan Sun has been active in performing throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Ms. Sun appeared as a soloist with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Warmland Sinfonietta in Sweden, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra in Latvia, Canton Symphony, Boston Chamber Orchestra in USA, and the Amalfi Coast Festival Orchestra in Italy.

A native of China, Shan-shan Sun began piano lessons at the age of five, and gave her first public performance at the age of six. At the age of nine she was admitted to the Young Artist Program at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, soon after she began to perform in major cities of China. In the following year she was invited to perform for Mr. Jiang Zeming, then president of China. In 1991 Ms. Sun came to the United States to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

After moving to the U.S., Shan-shan Sun has given piano performances in Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington D. C., Miami and New York, among other major cities. Ms. Sun has toured Hong Kong, Russia, Romania, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, and Sweden. Ms. Sun’s recent engagements include concerto appearances with the Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra of Sweden, the Scandinavian Chamber Orchestra in New York, the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, the South Orange Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey, Norrlands Symphony Orchestra of Sweden, and the Stockholm Royal Opera Orchestra, as well as recital appearances at the Kirkpatrick Chapel Concert Series at the Rutgers University, the mid-America Chopin Society in Oklahoma, Community Concerts in Fairfax, VA, Essex Winter Series in Deepriver, CT. and the “Black diamond” Concert Series in Copenhagen. 2007-08 season engagements brings Ms. Sun back to New York, Miami, Sarasota, as well as concerts in Oakland, Los Angeles, Washington Performing Arts Center, Stockholm, and Malmo Sweden.

Ms. Sun performs frequently as guest artist at numerous music festivals, such as the Linkoping Chamber Music Festival, Umea International Chamber Music Festival, Helsingborg Piano Festival, and the Giresta Piano Festival in Sweden, and the Liepaja International Piano Stars Festival in Latvia. Her performances have been heard recently on radio stations WNYC, P2 in Sweden, and BBC Radio.

Shan-shan Sun has won prizes in the Darius Milhaud Competition, the Nina Wideman Piano Competition, and the South Orange Symphony Artist Competition in USA. In 2003 Shan-shan Sun and pianist Per Tengstrand formed Duo Tengstrand-Sun, and in December the team won the First Prize at the Prestigious Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. The Duo now performs worldwide, and enjoys sharing a life together.
For more information please visit Duo Tengstrand-Sun.

Ms. Sun has 7 compact discs to her credit. The CDs were released by China Records, and Mindfeel Records in Sweden. The most recent recording includes works by Tchaikovsky and Arensky, released in December 2007. Among Ms. Sun’s piano instructors are Paul Schenly, Anne Epperson, Chengzong Ying, Qinghua Wang, and Susan Starr.

As a teacher Ms. Sun has been working with music students for more than a decade. She has taught master classes in Sweden and U.S. Ms. Sun served on the Jury for the Princeton Steinway Society Piano Competition 2007. When not on tour, Ms. Sun maintains a private studio at home in Princeton, NJ.