On Chinese Dreams pianist Lydia Maria Bader plays piano pieces by contemporary Chinese composers based on traditional folk songs as well as works by Western composers inspired by China. The music is filled with beautiful melodies, which deserve to be heard outside of China. Praised for her elegant execution, beautiful tone and remarkable virtuosity, pianist Lydia Maria Bader has been described as "one of the leading pianists of Germany" (Neue Musikzeitung). Audiences and the press alike admire her charming moderation and thematically-conceived programs, which often venture into lesser-known territories of the piano literature and reflect a deep fascination with colorful cultures. Born in Bavaria, Germany, Lydia received her first piano lessons from her father. At the age of fifteen she began her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, first with Karl-Hermann Mrongovius, then with Michael Schäfer after graduating from high school, under whom she received her artistic diploma. Other major influences on her artistic development include a year of study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris with Michel Beroff and studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria, with Markus Schirmer.