Meet the GOCAA Member
2021-2022 

Mr. Yu is currently a candidate of his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, studying with Prof. Vladimir Valjarevic as a full-scholarship and doctoral teaching fellowship recipient. Most currently, he is serving as a guest artist at Manhaville International Piano Competition and Festival, D'Art International Music. In May 2019, Mr. Yu graduated from Mannes School of Music of The New School where he obtained his Master of Music Degree under the tutelage of Prof. Pavlina Dokovska. Upon his graduation from Mannes, Mr. Yu has been selected to be the 2019 recipient of the Steinway & Sons Award, given to an outstanding artist in the graduate program.  

Ms. Liu, a native of Tianjin, China. She is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of Connecticut in the U.S.A as a Doctoral Teaching Fellow and Full-Scholarship Recipient. She earned both a Professional Studies Diploma (PSD) and a Master of Music degree at the Mannes School of Music at The New School under the guidance of Bulgarian-American Pianist Pavlina Dokovska. JingCi is the recipient of the President’s Scholarship, Supplemental Scholarship for Graduate Student and Schoenberg Pianist Scholarship.

Mr. Li received a master's degree in piano performance from the Mannes School of Music in New York City, and he was admitted to University of North Texas, University of Kansas, Penn State University, Michigan State University, and University of Connecticut for Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance degree with full scholarships and teaching assistantships.

09/2016-06/2020: Graduated from Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music 

Music Performance (Violin major) -Undergraduate

01/2022- now:    Study in the Bulgaria-Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts

Music Performance (Violin major) - Postgraduate (in study)

08/2008:  The fourth National Art Education Achievement Exhibition Bronze Award

08/2008: The Gold Medal of the third China Youth Art Festival

Ziying Zhao, a guqin player in the US. Praised for her “She must have been a guqin artist in her previous life.”(guqin educator from Tianjin conservatory of music), she has won top prizes in distinguished international competitions. She started to learn guqin when she was 15 years old in China. She went to the US for college when she was 16. In the US, she keeps learning guqin and began to teach guqin in 2014. 

Native of Tianjin, China. I am currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at Arizona State University, where I’m studying with Prof. Robert Hamilton. I earned both Master of Music degree and Bachelor degree at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, studying with young pianist Ran Dank. I was also admitted to music festival internationally such as “Baltimore International Piano Seminar” in 2021 and “Amalfi Music Festival” in 2019. In 2021, I was invited to a lecture recital entitled topic about Beethoven and Franck Violin Sonatas in Tianjin Concert Hall. 

Haotian Wei,a young pianist studied in the United States.Initially,he learned piano from Yangchun, a teacher from Wuhe County, Anhui Province when he was in the childhood. Later, he went to Bengbu City, Anhui Province with his parents to learn piano from huangzhensheng. In 2009, he was admitted to the science experimental class of Nanjing Jinling middle school with excellent results, but he still couldn't give up his enthusiasm for piano performance. He played on stage many times during his school days, which caused an extraordinary sensation among the students. In 2013, he was admitted to the Piano Department of Nanjing Academy of Arts with excellent results and studied under Professor Xu Jun. during the guidance of Professor Xu, he successfully held solo recitals for many times, and won the gold medal in the piano group of 2014 China Television instrumental music competition, the first prize in the open group of 2015 Macao Asia Pacific open piano competition, the first prize in 2016 Yamaha scholarship competition, and other awards.He won the highest first-class scholarship every year; In 2017, he was admitted to the Piano Department of Shanghai Conservatory of music for postgraduate study under Professor Huang Hong; During his study in China, he also studied with Professor Xiaofeng Wu, Professor Ting Zhong and Professor Yuan Sheng. In 2018, he was admitted to the Manhattan Conservatory of music as a postgraduate student under Professor Joanna Polk, and was praised by Professor Joanna Polk as "a very talented and musical performer with a very poetic and enthusiastic spirit". After his performance at the Italian Todi Music Festival in 2017,he was praised "extremely sensitive, spiritual and enthusiastic young pianist" by Eduardo Delgado, an internationally renowned pianist; During his stay in China and thanks to the guidance of many famous teachers, he was invited to hold lectures and explanation concerts such as "on piano performance and body rhythm" and "talking about the divine Liszt" in Fudan University, Shanghai Library and other places for many times, and cooperated with Nanjing Philharmonic Orchestra and other music groups to hold public benefit concerts,having performed "Yellow River Piano Concerto", "Grieg Piano Concerto in a minor" and "Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor","Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in f minor"Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 in c minor ". He has held many concerts in Nanjing Poly Theater, Nanjing culture and Art Center, the concert hall of Nanjing Academy of Arts, Nanjing Shenghe mansion, Nanjing bailing Island, Hefei Grand Theater, Greenfield hall, etc. He is still following Russian pianist Alexander moutouzkine for the further study.

2021 GOCAA Best Talent Award / First Place

2021 GOCAA Young Artist  / First Place

2021 GOCAA Best Talent Award / First Place

2021 GOCAA Young Artist Award /First Place 

Derek Chen, born in the United States in 2013. He is currently living in Vancouver, Canada. He is studying in Grade 3 at Collingwood School. Derek started to learn piano when he was 6 years old , under the tutelage of Fafan Xiao. His hobby is playing table tennis, skiing, mountain biking and painting. His dream is to become an Olympic table tennis champion in the future. 

Justin Jiang is 7 years old this year. He loves music and sports. 

When Justin was 4 years old, he held a solo piano concert at Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for charity, and CAD 5,000 raised from the concert was used to purchase medical supplies to help the frontline medical professionals in Wuhan Huoshen Mountain Hospital fight COVID-19. 

Justin also won the Gold Award at the 2020 Steinway Piano Competition. Also, he won the first prize

of "Finger Fast Running Group" in the third Shenzhen Piano Teaching Exhibition and Performance Invitational Competition 2020 and the First Place Award at the Celebrate Beethoven 250th Birthday GOCAA International Internet Piano Competition in 2020. 

In 2021, Justin won 1st Place in the category of“7 years and under” at Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals. Also， he was winning first prize in the 8th GOCCA International Competition.

Benjamin Tsai is a 7 years old pianist attending Wilson Elementary School in San Gabriel, California. He has been learning piano in Huayun Music Center for more than 1 year and obtained basic knowledge and skills of the piano entry level. 

He participated the CAPMT Southern Festival in January 2022. Although he is a beginner pianist, he is an eager leaner and always want to challenge more in future.