Piano prodigy: A Bu opens the door to China's jazz scene

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Born and raised in a small neighborhood in the eastern part of Beijing, young pianist Liang Dai, also known as A Bu, is a musical prodigy with virtuosic piano skills.

He started in classical music, but has also made great achievements in jazz. A Bu performed in a jazz cafe in Beijing's Xicheng District on Saturday.

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The venue A Bu and his friends chose is a small and intimate cafe called East Shore - widely regarded as the best jazz club in Beijing. It is known for bringing in major talents from Europe and the US.

It was here that the artist honed his performance skills and got the chance to play with many of the world's greatest jazz musicians.

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A Bu's foray into classical music began at the age of four and when he was nine, he got accepted into Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music - China's leading music college - to continue his classical piano education.

At the same time, he was also encouraged by his father to listen more to different types of music, including jazz.

Saxophonist Liu Yuan, who has been referred to as the "father of jazz in China", said the young pianist was always consistent and dedicated to jazz. "A Bu is not only proficient in classical music but also adept in jazz. Many people say he is a genius, but in fact, A Bu has put in a lot of effort to reach success."

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In 2015, A Bu won the first prize at Switzerland's Parmigiani Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition, becoming the first Chinese musician to win the award.

So which artist influenced his love of jazz? A Bu says he was inspired by Grammy-winning pianist Michel Camilo.