Prodigies: YaoYao Zhou, pianist

Description

YaoYao is from Zhejiang Province, China and currently lives in New York City. She has been studying music at Juilliard Pre-College since September 2019.
 
YaoYao is the 2019 Grand Prize Winner of the 8th Metropolitan International Piano Competition in New York City. As winner of the Under 18 Division, 11 year-old YaoYao performed solo alongside members of Juilliard and Curtis faculties at Carnegie Hall. YaoYao was also the third prize winner of 2019’s Kaufman Competition.
 
This summer, she was invited by the legendary Menahem Pressler to work with him. She was also the youngest participant at the Oxford University International Piano Festival. In October, the first month into her studies at Juilliard, she was the youngest participant and the alternate winner for the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto Competition. Her New York Debut recital is currently being scheduled at Rockefeller University for Spring 2020.
 
Besides expanding her repertoire, YaoYao also enjoys improvisation and composition classes. She also hopes to play rock music again with her drums.
 
Since coming to the U.S. a year ago, YaoYao has made great progress with her English and is a top student in her grade. She has discovered and excelled in basketball and other sports activities. She loves math, reading, and is a tireless fan of the Harry Potter series. In China, YaoYao enjoyed performing stand-up comedy for her schoolmates; she hopes to try it in English one day.