Dr. Xiyu Deng is an internationally acclaimed pianist, collaborative artist, and educator whose artistry has been described as “fresh and alive to every mood, nuance, and gesture” (Fanfare Magazine) and praised for its “controlled passion” and “poetic nuance” (New York Concert Review). In 2025 she released her debut album, Inner Fantasies: A Live Concert Recording of Schumann and Brahms, hailed by Fanfare as “a winning recital on all counts” and recognized by Broadway World Magazine Classical for her “authentic expression.”

Born in China and trained internationally, Dr. Deng earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Classical Piano at the Manhattan School of Music, where her doctoral research explored Gabriel Fauré’s impressionistic style. She also holds a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory—where she won the prestigious Piano Honors Competition and performed in Jordan Hall—and a Bachelor of Music from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

As a soloist and collaborative pianist, she has performed across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States, in venues such as Merkin Concert Hall (New York), Jordan Hall (Boston), and the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing). She has been featured at the Grace Note Farm Music Festival in Rhode Island as Artist-in-Residence, collaborating annually with cellist Yunwen Chen, and continues to expand her performance partnerships, including a recent recital and recording project with tenor David Gordon.

A dedicated educator as well as performer, Dr. Deng has taught college-level piano courses at the Manhattan School of Music and is currently on faculty at the Lindeblad School of Music. She is a Steinway Educational Partner, and an active member of both MTNA and NJMTNA, where she mentors students in both artistic expression and disciplined technical growth. Many of her students have achieved top results in competitions and auditions. She also serves as a juror for international competitions, including the Young Maestro Music Competition and the Little Mozarts Competition.