Biography

Jessie Zixi Deng (邓紫曦）is a passionate explorer of beauty, embracing the moments that music, art, nature, and more offer. Her mission is to impact people's lives with music in everyday settings. Growing up in Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, China, with limited resources, she turned to the Internet for early aesthetic education. Over time, she persuaded her parents and teachers to allow her to forgo her excellent academic achievements in high school to pursue her dream of music.

At the age of 17, Zixi took a significant step in her journey by winning the First Prize in the 2016 Ringway International Electone Organ Competition and the Chinese Repertoire Performance Award. She was later accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, one of China's top music schools, where she pursued a Bachelor's degree in Electone organ performance.

As an Electone organist, Zixi received comprehensive training in various musical genres, as well as transcription, collaboration, music production, and film music. This diverse education helped shape her into an open-minded musician with a broad musical perspective. Her achievements in competitions such as the Ringway International Electone Organ Competition, YAMAHA China Electronic Keyboard Competition, and JSFest International Music Competition. Additionally, her demonstration performances are featured on the InsMusic World App, a platform for Electone organ education.

In 2021, Zixi focused on organ performance during her Master's degree at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She performed at renowned venues such as the Oriental Art Center, Kulangsu Organ Art Center, Shanghai Concert Hall, Shangyin Opera House, and He Luting Concert Hall. Over her seven-year musical journey in Shanghai, Zixi’s remarkable academic and musical achievements earned her several honors, including the "Outstanding Graduate" title from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the National Inspirational Scholarship, the First Prize of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music People's Scholarship, the Master's New Student Scholarship, and the Bank of China Shanghai Conservatory of Music Outstanding Graduate Scholarship.

Zixi also enjoys broad musical collaborations with percussionists, violinists, accordionists, and choirs. She performed piano in an orchestra for the "Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto," collaborating with the original composer Zhanhao He in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Zhuji. Additionally, she ventured into musicals, playing the Electone organ with the band for the musical "Loyalty," part of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s “Celebrating the Centenary of the Party’s Founding” project at the Shanghai Opera House. Zixi values collaboration and continuously explores diverse forms of organ playing, including four-hand and four-feet organ repertoire, organ and violin, Electone organ, and accordion.

Dedicated to sharing the beauty of music, Zixi has also actively participated in community initiatives. While in Shanghai, she volunteered as an organist and pianist at the Shanghai Community Church, Shanghai Holy Trinity Church, and Shanghai Zhabei Church. During the 2023 Christmas season, she collaborated with the choir at Shanghai Community Church, along with conductor Chengjie Zhang and pianist Jiayin Feng, for a Christmas Cantata. In her spare time, she assisted as a conductor for the Bank of China Credit Center Trade Union's Choir and the Youth Choir of Shanghai Health School.

Driven by a passion for organ education, Zixi not only helped church musicians improve their skills but also collaborated with Juilliard DMA alumnus Chris Yuejian Chen to run organ projects for beginners, church musicians, and international organ applicants in China. Inspired by Chris Chen and the projects, Zixi decided to take a bold step in her life—studying organ in the United States. In the summer of 2024, she was selected for the Oregon Bach Festival to work with Grammy Award-winning organist and Juilliard organ faculty Paul Jacobs. Looking ahead, Zixi plans to give recitals around the world, sharing her music with audiences from diverse backgrounds. Her upcoming events include a pre-service recital in Grace Church in Newark, NJ, in May.

Her mentors include Lei Zhu, Meng Zeng, Dan Wu, Qi Zhang, Chris Yuejian Chen, and Zhen Piao. Zixi is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College of Rider University under The Organ Legacy Endowed Scholarship, where she studies organ with Thomas Gaynor and choral conducting with Donald Nally. She also sings as soprano in Westminster Symphonic Choir and rings bells in Westminster Concert Bell Choir. She currently serves as the organist at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Southampton, PA.