Rio Xiang is completing a Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Natalia Ricci. He previously studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Stanislav Ioudenitch and also trained in composition with Richard Gill.

With many international accolades, Rio received first prize at the 2013 Shanghai International Music Festival and five first prizes at the 2014 Hong Kong International Piano Competition.

Other prizes that Rio has received were at the 2016 Beijing International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists, the 2017 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, the 2018 Australian Youth Classical Music Competition, the 2018 Arthur Dann Competition and the 2022 Sydney Conservatorium of Music Piano Concerto Competition.

Rio has performed as soloist and with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

With recordings for ABC Classic and 2MBS Fine Music Sydney, Rio has written many works for piano and has performed at the Aspen Music Festival and International Piano Academy Lake Como.