Internationally acclaimed for her captivating performances across the stages of the United States, Europe, and China, Jiana Peng has established herself as a pianist of versatility. Critics and audiences alike have praised her as a performer possessing an “intelligent and creative sensibility that result in interpretations which are completely satisfying” (Kevin Kenner).

Well-versed in a wide range of repertoire, Jiana has a special affinity with the compositions of Chopin, winning acclaim for her “superb technical skills, musicality, and amazing connection with Chopin’s musical spirit.” Her debut album featuring Chopin’s 24 Preludes was released in 2022.

Jiana’s musical exploration extends beyond the traditional repertoire, embracing eclectic and non-standard works that consistently push the boundaries of her artistic expression. With a background in Chinese folk dancing, Jiana’s unique perspective enriches her music. Her doctoral research delves into Polish folk traditions, specifically those shaping the 20th-century piano repertoire by neglected composers such as Karol Szymanowski, Grażyna Bacewicz, and Roman Maciejewski. Most recently, she gave a world premiere of Szymanowski’s ballet-pantomime Harnasie newly transcribed for solo piano by Konrad Binienda at the Frost Chopin Festival in Miami, Florida.

Jiana is the winner of the 2020 International Chopin Piano Competition (Corpus Christi) and the Second Prize winner of the 2022 Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition (Washington, D.C). She also won the Finalist Award in the New York International Piano Competition, Tuesday Musical Scholarship, Nice Coté d’Azur International Piano Competition, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra Music Scholarship Competition, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition. Jiana was a contestant in the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.

Jiana made her orchestral debut with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra in Severance Hall at the age of 16. She has since collaborated with the National Philharmonic, Oberlin Conservatory Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Frost Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of University of Alicante (Spain) under the batons of Gerard Schwarz, Piotr Gajewski, Raphael Jimenez, Carl Topilow, Kimbo Ishii-Eto, and Uri Segal.

Jiana was invited to perform in festivals including PianoTexas International Festival, Frost Chopin Festival, and Dubrovnik Summer Music Festival. Her recent performing highlights include her artistic collaboration with the world-renowned Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires. They launched and performed together the first edition of the itinerary festival “Days of Wisdom” in Cervià de Ter, Spain. This artistic partnership extended to performances at Belgais Center for Arts in Portugal. These collaborative concerts intertwine music with poetry and theater, creating a fusion of artistic elements that redefines the conventional formats of classical concerts. In 2023, she was one of the six select pianists invited to the Partitura Residency at the Gilmore International Piano Festival, where she worked and performed again with Pires.

In recent seasons, Jiana has been featured in concert series by the US Chopin Foundation, Frost Chopin Festival, Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, and Culture&Art Foundation in New York. She has performed in notable venues including the Severance Hall, Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, Chopin’s Manor in Duszniki, Poland, and Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center.

Jiana has performed in masterclasses with renowned musicians including Leon Fleisher, Dang Thai Son, Arie Vardi, Andreas Staier, Wojciech Świtała, Philippe Giusiano, and Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. As a passionate chamber musician, she has worked with members of the Juilliard String Quartet, Cleveland Orchestra, Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, and Cavani String Quartet.

Born in China, Jiana started learning piano at the age of 7 and studied at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music with Da Xin Zheng. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Haesun Paik. She is also a graduate from the Artist Diploma and Oberlin-Como Fellowship program at the Oberlin Conservatory mentored by Stanislav Ioudenitch. Jiana recently earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music under the tutelage of Kevin Kenner.

Jiana is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Fryderyk Chopin Institute of Ohio, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the performance and scholarship of Chopin.