Kaiwei Zhi – Pianist
Kaiwei Zhi is a pianist based in New York City, whose career has spanned performances of concertos, recitals, and chamber music across the world.
Kaiwei made his concerto debut at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Kyiv, performing Liszt’s La Campanella while studying at the R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music under the guidance of Uliana Yablonskaya, beginning in 2004. He later performed Liszt’s First Piano Concerto with the State Orchestra of Ukraine.
From 2008 to 2012, Kaiwei performed a series of recitals throughout China, introducing audiences to the depth of Slavic music. During this period, he earned Third Prize at the 22nd Young Musician International Competition “Città di Barletta” in Italy. After completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance, he spent several months in Paris, studying with Olivier Gardon, where he rediscovered his faith and renewed his passion for music.
In 2014, Kaiwei made his return to the concert stage with a performance of the Yellow River Piano Concerto alongside the Chongqing Philharmonic Orchestra under Xieyang Chen, conductor of the Shanghai Philharmonic, at the Grand Theater of Chongqing.
A year later, Kaiwei moved to New York City to continue his artistic development at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with the late Philip Kawin, earning a Professional Studies Certificate in 2017. He later pursued further refinement under Spencer Myer, receiving a Graduate Performance Diploma in Piano Performance.
In 2019, Kaiwei was both the opening performer at a contemporary music recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and the closing performer at a similar event at Markin Hall, New York. The following year, he presented his first solo piano recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
During the pandemic, Kaiwei turned his focus toward French repertoire, performing Debussy’s Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra with Dr. Leon Burke and the University City Symphony in Missouri, USA. In a remarkable artistic and humanitarian gesture, he later returned to Kyiv during the Ukraine–Russia war, performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major with the Honored Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukrainian Radio under Maestro Volodymyr Sheiko.
Today, Kaiwei Zhi continues to build an international career distinguished by his expressive interpretations, technical mastery, and deep artistic sincerity, connecting audiences through music that transcends borders and time.