The Age
'Kristian Chong is a pianist of impressive talent and sensitivity...'
'...a true chamber musician at work...'
Limelight Magazine
'The soloist, Kristian Chong, was nothing short of brilliant, giving a heartfelt performance of extraordinary beauty and sensitivity with finely controlled expression, tempi and touch.
The Adelaide Advertiser
'This was playing with finesse and strength in the best proportions' -
Silver Skies - just released!.
Silver Skies traces a luminous dialogue between flute and piano, spanning over a century of music from Paris to contemporary Australia. Flautist Megan Sterling and pianist Kristian Chong weave together the wit and elegance of Poulenc, the refined lyricism of Gaubert, and Martin’s introspective modernism with distinctive Australian voices—Vine’s rhythmic brilliance, Boyd’s meditative stillness, and Hyde’s vivid miniatures. This collection celebrates the French flute tradition’s enduring influence and the instrument’s timeless capacity for colour, line and song.
Available on all major streaming platforms or by physical CD - please be in contact if you wish to purchase a disc.
THURS 12 AUGUST 2021
In True Romantics, two of Australia's most accomplished musicians, clarinettist Philip Arkinstall and pianist Kristian Chong, bring new light and lyrical warmth to Brahms's Clarinet and Piano Sonatas, Op.120 and Clara Schumann's Three Romances, Op.22 (here transcribed for clarinet by Roger Young).
This album explores the late flowering of two intertwined musical souls: Johannes Brahms, whose inspiration was rekindled by the playing of clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, and Clara Schumann, whose influence and artistry shaped Brahms's creative life. The result is a recording steeped in tenderness, nostalgia and expressive intimacy - music where, in the words of Brahms's friend Eusebius Mandyczewski, "it is as though the instruments were in love with each other."
Recorded with clarity and warmth, True Romantics reveals the natural partnership between Arkinstall and Chong, two of Australia's leading interpreters of Romantic chamber repertoire. Together they capture both the intensity and inward grace of these works, highlighting the lyrical introspection and passionate dialogue between clarinet and piano.
Available at:
UPCOMING CONCERTS
SATURDAY 18 JULY 2026, 7PM
Australia's most prolific, loved and respected pianist Piers Lane returns to Melbourne for this one and only performance with Kristian featuring two incredible masterworks. Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances were written last in Rachmaninoff's compositional output and represent an epic and wonderful sense of emotions, excitement and beauty in an incredible blend of pianistic timbre and colour. Often heard in its later orchestral form, a true masterwork for 2 pianos. This is paired with the delicious and not often heard Debussy arrangement of Schumann's 6 Canons - a lyrical, beautiful and colourful work that transports one to another plain.
SCHUMANN arr. DEBUSSY - 6 Pieces in the form of Canons for Two Pianos
RACHMANINOFF - Symphonic Dances for Two Pianos Op.45
PRIMROSE POTTER SALON, MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE, AUSTRALIA
24 JULY - 1 AUGUST 2026
WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2026
AFCM CONCERT CONVERSATIONS 3
DENE OLDING (violin),
BENJAMIN ROSKAMS, (viola)
CHRISTIAN-PIERRE LA MARCA (cello),
KRISTIAN CHONG (piano)
MAHLER - Piano Quartet in A minor
WONDERFUL WORLD WITH CHRISTIAN-PIERRE LA MARCA AND HIS ALL-STAR ORCHESTRA
CHRISTIAN-PIERRE LA MARCA (cello),
JACK LIEBECK, EMMALENA HUNING, DIMITY HALL, DENE OLDING (violins)
STEFANIE FARRANDS, IRINA MOROZOVA (viola),
CHARLOTTE MILES (cello), LEON BOSCH (bass),
KRISTIAN CHONG (piano)
FAURE - Après un Rêve for cello, piano & string orchestra, arr. Gassot/La Marca
FAZIL SAY - Sonata for cello and piano (Four Cities) - Sivas, Hopa
DVORAK - Silent Woods (From The Bohemian Forest) for cello, piano and string orchestra
RAMIREZ - Alfonsina y el Mar for cello, piano and strings
SAINT-SAËNS - "The Swan” for cello, piano and strings
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Flight of the Bumblebee
PIAZZOLLA - Libertango
BOB THIELE (George David Weiss) What A Wonderful World
THURSDAY 30 JULY 2026
AFCM CONCERT CONVERSATIONS 4
JACK LIEBECK, ALEXANDRA RAIKHLINA (violins), JOSHUA BATTY, KARA THORPE (flutes), KRISTIAN CHONG (piano)
BACH - Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043
DOPPLER - Andante and Rondo for Two Flutes & Piano, Op. 25
CAIRNS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, AUSTRALIA
JOSHUA BATTY (flute)
KRISTIAN CHONG (piano)
SAINT-SAËNS - Introduction et rondo capriccioso
Joshua Batty (flute), Kristian Chong (piano)
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST 2026
AFCM CLOSING NIGHT CONCERT - SO LONG, FAREWELL... FOR NOW
JACK LIEBECK, ALEXANDER SITKOVETSKY, EMMALENA HUNING, BENJAMIN ROSKAMS, DIMITY HALL, DENE OLDING AM (violins)
STEFANIE FARRANDS, LISE BERTHAUD, IRINA MOROZOVA (violas)
JULIAN SMILES, CHRISTIAN-PIERRE LA MARCA, CHARLOTTE MILES, ISANG ENDERS (cellos)
JOSHUA BATTY (flute) , LEON BOSCH (double bass)
EMMANUEL CASSIMATIS (oboe), JACKIE NEWCOMB (bassoon), LLOYD VAN'T HOFF (clarinet),
STEFAN DOHR (french horn)
WU QIAN, ALEXANDER KRICHEL, KRISTIAN CHONG (pianos)
FRANCIS POULENC - Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano
RODGERS/HAMMERSTEIN - “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound of Music
TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2026, 730PM
BACH - Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue BWV 903
BACH arr. LISZT - Prelude and Fugue in A minor (Organ) BWV 543
BACH arr. BUSONI - Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2
Surprise arrangement from composer Lee BRADSHAW
BACH arr. BUSONI - Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C BWV 564
This solo recital features Bach interwoven with language from later inspiration and language. It starts with original Bach at his most creative - with one of his most popular works at its time - the Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue with the improvisatory nature of the Fantasie showing true musical inspiration. Liszt then takes the A minor Organ Prelude and Fugue and transcribes it for the piano, and Busoni then creates two canonic works from Bach; the first being the Chaconne from the Violin Partita No. 2. The final work is almost cataclysmic in output, the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C for Organ, an incredible sound world which culminates in a powerful Fugue; the whole work is very much suited to the power of the modern piano.
MELBOURNE CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC
HANSON DYER HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
LATEST REVIEWS and ARTICLES
Review: SCHUBERT and SYRAH, Canberra International Music Festival, 2 May 2026
Review: TISSAGE du TEMPS, Canberra International Music Festival, 3 May 2026
Review: Classikon: TISSAGE du TEMPS, Canberra International Music Festival, 3 May 2026
Review: Classic Melbourne: Kristian Chong and Friends: Jack Liebeck and Kristian Chong 15 March 2025
Review: THE AGE: Majestic Celebrations: Kristian Chong & Friends 9 November 2024
Review: MAGAZINE: Kristian Chong & Sophie Rowell (Musica Viva Tasmania) 31 Oct 2023
Review: MAGAZINE: Caitlin Hulcup, Fiona Sargeant and Kristian Chong 3 Oct 2023
Review: ADELAIDE ADVERTISER: Li-Wei Qin & Kristian Chong - 9 July 2023
Review: INDAILY: Coriole Music Festival 2023
Meet the performers! Interview for Coriole Music Festival in May 2023
Review: MAGAZINE: War and Peace, Canberra Symphony Orchestra - 15 Sept 2022 - Malcolm Williamson's Piano Concerto No.2
Australian pianist, Kristian Chong announced as YAMAHA Artist - 19 April 2022
