The Thames Music Group will showcase one of the most promising young talents in classical music in the Sunday afternoon concert series on 13th April. 15-year-old pianist Shan Liu is a Year 11 student at Westlake Boys High School. Shan, is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising talents in classical music under the guidance of renowned pianist Stephen De Pledge.

In 2023, he made history as the youngest-ever winner of the Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition and received the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Classical Music Award. In 2024, Shan was honoured with the Global Outstanding Chinese Artists Association (GOCAA), Young Artist Award and the AIMES Emerging Talent Award, and he was selected as a Featured Soloist with both the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Manukau Symphony Orchestra for 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons.

In 2024, his international reputation expanded further when he became the first New Zealand young pianist invited to the prestigious Morningside Bridge Music Program at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, a fully funded, one-month program that offers mentorship from some of the world’s leading musicians.
Shan’s has performed in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Sydney Opera House, and Auckland Town Hall. His solo recital at the 2022 Beethoven Orbit Festival in Aachen, Germany, garnered widespread acclaim for his technical brilliance and emotive interpretation.

His solo journey to international acclaim is marked by a series of remarkable victories, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 8th Macao International Piano Competition, the Grand Gold Prize at the Pacific Rim International Music Competition, and the Gold Award at the GOCAA, New York International Music Competition. Shan has also achieved First Place at prestigious events such as the César Franck International Piano Competition in Belgium, the Kings Peak International Music Competition in the USA, and the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in The Netherlands.

He has collaborated with many of New Zealand’s leading orchestras, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, NZSO National Youth Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Up Close Concerts, Manukau Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Bay of Plenty Symphonia, St. Matthews Chamber Orchestra, and Orchestra Auckland, making his orchestral debut at the age of nine.
Don’t miss the chance to see one of classical music’s rising stars right here in Thames!

Event Location: St Georges Church, Mackay St Thames
Organiser Email: warren.sly@prepress.co.nz
Event Website: http://www.thamesmusicgroup.com
Event Hours: Sunday April 13th 2pm.
Event Cost: 20,$15 for TMG members, Under 18s free entry.