Biography

Qden showed an interest in classical music from an early age and began playing piano at the age of eight and composing soon thereafter. He has performed some of his compositions in concerts and on television interviews. He has experience teaching and has given lessons at various schools in Cape Town. He has also done volunteer work at the Hugo Lambrechts Music
Centre, assisting with teaching theory. Moreover, he has engaged in fundraising and given masterclasses at the Conservatoire National de Musique in Mauritius.
Recognition through competitions began early and in 2016, after playing piano for less than four years he won the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition. Thereafter, he won, received top places and special awards in many national music competitions such as the
Atterbury National Piano Competition, Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, National Youth Music Competition and Johan Vos Competition. Qden won the Yamaha 2020 Scholarship Program and
was a recipient of a high school culture scholarship from Reddam House Durbanville ( 2018 to 2022). He also received first prize in the International Youth Music Competition (2021).

More recently, Qden received a full tuition scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music (London, UK), commencing September 2023. At the end of 2023, he performed in the “Pictures Reframed” project at the Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation. This project had
previously been performed around the globe by the acclaimed pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.
Qden has performed 13 concertos with major South African orchestras and one in Germany. In 2020, amid all the covid restrictions, some engagements and events had to be cancelled, among which was a concert in Paris with the Miagi Orchestra organized by Les Amateurs Virtuoses
where Qden was to play two double piano concertos with German pianist, Nina del Se.
He performed as a soloist at numerous concerts and festivals in South Africa. Internationally, he performed in Germany as well as at the Durtal Music Festival in France. In London, Qden has won the Royal Overseas award in the Royal Over-Seas League’s Annual Music Competition and is a part of the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists scheme.
Probably one of Qden’s personal highlights was in November 2016, when he was one of ten children, and the first from Africa, selected from more than 500 applicants worldwide to attend  the prestigious Allianz Music Camp in Warsaw, Poland, where he received a master class from
acclaimed pianist, Lang Lang. He has also received master classes from other international pianists, including Valentina Lisitsa, Gloria Campaner, Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy Martina Bauer, Motoki Hirai, Spencer Myer, Luis Magalhães, Liezl-Maret Jacobs and Jan Hugo. Since 2014 until present, Qden has been taught by Cape Town pianist and teacher, Shane Goodall.
He has been featured on national television, including Espresso, eCNA, SABC2SABC3, radio as well as newspapers and magazines.