ABOUT RIO XIANG AND CEDAR NEWMAN

A recently formed duo, Rio and Cedar, share a musical heritage that gives them great joy in performing sonata repertoire together. Rio has been a long-term student of Natalia Ricci, and Cedar studied piano with Gian-Franco Ricci for eight years. These relationships have nurtured the beauty of communicating stories and emotional landscapes through music. They are delighted to present their first public performance together at Tempo Rubato before a series of concerts leading up to the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, where they have been selected for the International Masterclass.

Rio Xiang is a pianist, improviser, and prolific composer. He has won many international piano competitions and performed solo with multiple orchestras in Australia and overseas. His most recent success was winning 2nd prize and the Jenny Houlihan Special Prize for the best performance of a Haydn Sonata at the Australian National Piano Award in October 2024. Rio has studied piano overseas with Natalia Ricci and composition with Richard Gill. He has made recordings for ABC Classic FM Radio Station and Sydney Fine Music Radio Station.

Cedar Newman’s passion for the violin began with listening to Bach and Vivaldi’s music played on her great-grandmother’s violin, which she now performs on. At thirteen, her musical journey took her to New York, where she continues to study with Professor Lucie Robert at the Manhattan School of Music. She is a grateful recipient of a President’s Scholarship. She has played with orchestras and chamber ensembles and has performed as a soloist in Australia, North America, and Europe.