Mutian Xu was born in China in 1985 and moved to Japan in 1994. Mutian completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) with a distinction in piano solo performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2008, and obtained Master of Music degree at the RNCM in 2009. She studied piano with Paul Janes.
She made success in competitions including finalist in the Machida Piano Competition (Tokyo) in 2001, and High Schools Association Piano Competition (Kanagawa) in 2002. In 2007, Mutian and her duo partner Carla won the first prize in the wind and percussion duo competition (Manchester), Mutian won the PJ Forbes prize for best pianist. In 2012, Mutian and her Haru Piano Trio won the first prize at the Ealing Music and Arts festival (Chamber Music Category).
Mutian was invited by Vlastimila Pospisilova to attend the International Piano Course in Tyn nad Vitavou, Czech republic in 2002 and 2003, where she studied with Frederic Lagarde, Bozena Steinerona and Geoffrey Chacaro. She was selected to give solo recitals in Tyn nad Vitavou, Ceske Budejovice and Pisek. Mutian also attended the Castelfranc Piano Summer School with Scholarship in 2007, 2008 and 2009, where she performed in the final concerts and also performed Schumann piano concerto Op. 54 in A minor. She studied with Paul Roberts, Ian Brown, Harold Gray and Robert Durso. Mutian played in masterclasses and lessons given by Philippe Cassard, Alexander Melnikov, Nelson Goerner, Anton Voigt, Thomas Kreuzberger, Pawel Skrzypek and Stefano Fiuzzi. As a piano accompanist, Mutian participated masterclasses by Julius Drake, Barbara Robotham, Ralph Kirshbaum, Karine Georgian, Yair Kless, Jan Repko, and Ivry Gitlis.
She performed in many festivals at the Royal Northern College of Music including Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Shostakovich, Messiaen and Haydn festival. Mutian gave solo recitals in Manchester, Castres and Miribel in France, Tokyo and Kanagawa in Japan. In 2008, Mutian was invited by Jazz pianist David Nelson to give a solo recital in the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival. She also made her solo debut in the Ebina concert hall, Kanagawa Japan. In the same year, Mutian and her colleagues established a chamber music group "Northern Horizons" which toured Europe and Asia made success in England, Portugal, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. In 2009, Mutian performed Three pieces for Clarinet and Piano in the Detlev Glanert festival and worked with the composer.
Mutian has performed s as a piano accompanist, working with students from the Royal Northern College of Music, Junior RNCM, and Chetham's School of Music. She accompanied in the BBC young musician of the year competition, auditions for orchestra including the Halle orchestra, BBC philharmonic, Manchester Camerata and Liverpool philharmonic. She also played with Lancashire Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Mutian has been the head of music at a prestigious preparatory school in Hampstead, London since 2015.
