Mingyi Gao

Educator, adjudicator, recitalist, and chamber musician, Dr. Mingyi Gao has given performances and masterclasses throughout China, Europe and North America. She was a prizewinner in the Jiangsu Piano Competition, Gulangyu Piano Competition, NTDTV International Piano Competition, Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, New York “Golden Classical Music Awards” International Competition. She has participated and performed in Shanghai International Piano Festival, Prague International Music Festival, Eastman “Music for All” program, the Chautauqua International Music Festival with orchestra and the tribute to legendary Vladimir Horowitz Concert.

Dr. Gao’s students have been awarded first prizes in national and international competitions, which have lead to performances at Carnegie hall, Lincoln Center for the performing arts, Duncan Recital Hall and Antelope Valley College Performing Arts Theatre. Her students have gone on to attend universities including the Yale School of Music, UC Berkeley, and NYU. In 2021, she was inducted into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame.

Dr. Gao held a guest professorship at Taizhou University and AMF “Master Series.” She has given lectures, masterclasses and recitals at Nanjing University, Summit Jewish community centers and Fudan University. She was the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Steinway Select School, Irvine Conservatory of Music. She is a member of MTAC, SYMF and previous chair of Orange County West Southern California Jr. Bach Festival. She is an appointed judge of WPTA IPC and Vivace International Piano Competition.

Dr. Gao holds a BM degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and graduate degrees (MM and DMA) of Musical arts degrees in piano performance and literature from Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Steinway Artist Ms. Rebecca Penneys. 

Mingyi Gao is a Young Steinway Artist