About the soloists:
Sandy Huang
Sandy Huang, age 19, currently majors in Piano Performance under Dr. Robin McCabe. Previously, she studied with international pianist Michi North. She has been the top prize winner in competitions including the Northwest Chopin Festival, Northwest Bach Festival, and more. At age 10, Sandy made her debut with the orchestra in Taipei playing the Mozart Piano Concerto, K. 466. In 2018, she performed the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor with the UW Campus Philharmonic Orchestra as the UW High School Concerto Competition winner. In 2019, she played the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” with Taipei’s orchestra and the Evergreen Philharmonic Orchestra. She also won the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition and had the opportunity to perform the complete work of “Emperor.” Sandy was invited to attend the UW Seattle Piano Institute at age nine. In 2019, she was invited to perform at the UW Benefit Concert.
David Lin
Pianist David Lin is an active soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He began his piano studies at the age of six, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance under Professor Craig Sheppard at the University of Washington. Recent performances include his solo recital in Brechemin Auditorium, where he premiered an original composition, and a concert with the UW Symphony Orchestra as a collaborative pianist. In 2021, David took second place in the keyboard division of the UW School of Music Concerto Competition.
Within academia, David’s interests cross disciplines between the arts and sciences, as his research is focused on music as an application for scientific communication. As a native of the Pacific Northwest, he aims to make education about complex environmental issues accessible to wider audiences, and fortify our connection with the natural and built environments we live in.
Nicole Wang
Nicole Wang is an undergraduate freshman majoring in computer engineering at the University of Washington. She began piano lessons at the age of five, and has previously studied with Joanne Lu, Tatiana Lanford, and Nino Merabishvili. She now studies with Professor Craig Sheppard at the UW School of Music. Nicole has won top awards in various local and state competitions, such as the Washington MTNA State Competition, Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside, and the Chopin NW Competition. She has also performed with the Virtuosi Brunensis Orchestra, Bellevue Symphony, Cascade Symphony, and most recently, the Evergreen Philharmonic. Besides piano, Nicole plays the cello, and she teaches both instruments outside of schoolwork. She is also involved in chamber music. Last year, her trio won the third prize at the WMEA State Solo and Ensemble competition (small string ensemble category). In her free time, Nicole enjoys hiking, traveling, and eating good food.
Chiao-Yu Wu
Taiwanese pianist Chiao-Yu is in her second year of Doctor of Musical Art in Piano Performance at the University of Washington, under the tutelage of Robin McCabe. She received her Undergraduate degree from Royal Academy of Music and Master degree from the University of Michigan School of Music. Her accomplishments include prizes in the Taiwan 2nd International Classical and Traditional Music Awards (2018), the 4th Annual Camerata Concerto Competition (2017), and the Delius Prize of the Royal Academy of Music (2015). In 2017, she performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Ann Arbor Camerata Orchestra. She loves sharing the beauty of music with others. Apart from playing in the great venues, such as the Beijing Steinway Concert Hall and Kaufman Music Center in New York City, she enjoys performing in senior living houses, hospitals, and churches. Outside of music, she loves visiting museums, watching ballet, doing yoga, and playing sudoku. Her future plan is to learn how to ski.
Tianhao Yao
Tianhao Yao was born and raised in Beijing, China, where he discovered his passion for the piano at the age of five. Currently, he is a senior at the University of Washington where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Geography Data Science. This is Tianhao’s second year at UW studying piano under Dr. Cristina Valdes, where he has performed in several recitals, including the Brechemin Piano Series. Upon graduation, he aims to balance his passion for music and technology by pursuing a career as a software engineer while continuing to improve his piano technique and broaden his musical repertoire. Tianhao is thrilled to be giving his debut concerto performance tonight in collaboration with Philharmonia Northwest.