Hong Kong - Chinese concert pianist Liu Shih-kun was charged with assault in a Hong Kong court Friday following a scuffle with his wife at their piano school.

The 69-year-old internationally renowned musician was detained by police overnight after allegedly attacking his 47-year-old wife, leaving her with injuries to her head, back and arm, at the couple's Hong Kong piano school Thursday afternoon.

Liu appeared before the Hong Kong court unrepresented and wearing a dressing on his face to cover an injury.

He entered no plea and the case was adjourned until January 23.

Liu's career took off after he won second prize in the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, when he was 19.

In his early career he performed for high-ranking Chinese officials including Mao Zedong but was labelled a "counter revolutionist" and jailed for five years during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.

Local media have reported recently that Liu and his wife, a former mainland television broadcaster, have split and were going through a divorce.

The couple have been married since 1988 and have a son. They moved to Hong Kong in 1990. (dpa)