Shan Deng

Biography

Shan's early music studies were undertaken in the gifted children's program at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She obtained her Bachelor of Music at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University with first class honours and a university medal. Shan has also received Fulbright and Churchill fellowships to perform and study in the USA and South Africa. Her successes include winning the keyboard final of the ABC Young Performer of the year award, and representing the Arts as a national finalist in the Young Australian of the Year competition. In 2014, Shan was awarded the Australian Council for the Arts International Pathway grant and travelled to China for a concert tour, her programme included the world premier of a newly commissioned solo piece 'Choro' by Maria Grenfell. She is in demand around the world as a concert artist, teacher and adjudicator. She was invited to be part of the adjudicating panel of the Second Australian International Chopin Competition. In 2015, Shan will be perform and give masterclasses in Hobart and Brisbane of Australia, and at China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Shan has also been invited to adjudicate the prestigious national Young Performers Award in the same year.

Research Interest

Shan's research aligns to the University's research theme of Creativity, Culture and Society. She has been working since 2008 to commission and perform Chinese folk inspired new Australian music nationally in Australia and internationally in China. Shan has been working with her father Dr. Wei Deng and composer Dr. Maria Grenfell on the project titled, 'Stylistic development and performance practice from unpublished Chinese folk songs to new Australian compositions'.  Duo Deng released a CD on the Master Performers label in 2013 titled, 'Conversations'. They were awarded an International Pathway grant from the Australian Council for the Arts in 2014 which they used to travel to China for a concert tour.