Morning Calm: Ruifan Xuan

Join us for Morning Calm with Ruifan Xuan, pianist from the Royal College of Music, who will be playing works by Chopin, Mozart, Liszt and Alfred Grünfeld.

Dates: Daily Monday - Friday

Time: 8.40-8.55am

Location: St George's Hanover Square, St George Street, W1

Morning Calm is a short piano recital beginning at 8:40, consisting of around 10-12 minutes of music followed by a few minutes' silence for reflection and meditation before ending with brief prayers for the day ahead. You are most welcome to stay for the whole recital or if you would prefer not to stay for the Christian conclusion to leave just before the end. Morning Calm aims to offer a reflective and calm start to the day for people of any faith or none in the hustle and bustle of the West End of London.

As always admission is free.

Ruifan Xuan is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, recently awarded the prestigious Artist Diploma in Performance from the Royal College of Music in London, under the mentorship of British concert pianist Professor Gordon Fergus-Thompson.

Born into a musical family, Ruifan began studying piano at the age of four with her mother, Professor Hong Cheng of the University of her city in China. In 2010, she was admitted to the Junior Department of the China Conservatory of Music, where she trained under Professor Xuan Dong. From an early age, she has distinguished herself through her artistic maturity and adventurous spirit, often curating ambitious programs for her recitals, such as a full performance of Chopin’s Études, Op. 25, at the age of 15.

Ruifan’s talent has been recognized in numerous international competitions. In 2013, she was awarded the Gold Medal at the Beijing Piano Festival and invited to perform at its Closing Ceremony. The following year, she won First Prize and a Special Prize at the Vienna IPP International Piano Competition, which led to a performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto with the Estonian Symphony Orchestra in 2015.

She pursued undergraduate studies on scholarship at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Irish concert pianist David Quigley, graduating with First Class Honours. During this time, she won top prizes in multiple competitions and regularly performed in concerts and public masterclasses. Her 2019 themed recital The Night of Liszt – Dons, Devils, Dreams, received acclaim in both Birmingham and Manchester. That same year, she also released the album Mozart: The Complete Four-Hand Piano Sonatas, available on major streaming platforms.

Following her undergraduate studies, Ruifan completed both a Master of Music in Performance and an Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music. As an active soloist, she has performed at prestigious venues including The National Gallery, St James’s Piccadilly, Westminster Library, the Austrian Cultural Forum, Oxford University, and Leeds Conservatoire.

In addition to her solo career, Ruifan is a passionate collaborative pianist. Since 2022, she has held an official position at Royal Holloway, University of London, working closely with students in performance. Her recent highlights include appearances in the Leeds International Concert Series, recitals in Oxford university and live-streamed recitals in London.

Ruifan continues to perform regularly across the UK and internationally, with past engagements in cities including London, Oxford, Leeds, Cambridge, Manchester, Vienna, Beijing and many more. She remains dedicated to artistic excellence and looks forward to furthering her journey as a concert pianist and collaborative artist.