Pianist
Teacher Tong- has been recognized as a pianist who presents a fascinating performance with unique and brilliant interpretation. She began her piano lessons at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music at the age of four. Her first concert in Shenyang Theater was at age five and later won the Image Ambassador of POLY Real Estate Group Co. in Shenyang. She has also performed concerts for Steinway Piano in Shenyang and Summit concert series in Rochester. She attended Chautauqua Piano Festival in 2012 under scholarship, and the inaugural tuition-free Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival in 2013. Tong completed her bachelor’s degree with distinction in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of professor Rebecca Penneys. In 2016, Tong received her master’s degree in piano performance at Northwestern University, where she studied with professor James Giles. As a Dorothy A. and Claude R. Langford Keyboard Fellowship recipient, Tong is pursuing Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and literature at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with professor Timothy Ehlen and studies piano pedagogy with professor Christos Tsitsaros.
Active as a performer as well as pedagogue, Tong has been teaching piano for over 10 years. Tong was a piano instructor at Piano Laboratory Program at University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and Northwestern University’s Music Academy. She also gave presentation at ISMTA conference on piano pedagogy. Her students have won first prizes in numerous competitions including the Grand Prize Virtuoso “Paris” International Music Competition, Grand Prize Virtuoso “Bonn” International Music Competition, US International Open Music Competition, Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, Prima Volta Music Competition, Great Composer Music Competition, and San Francisco International Innovative Music Competition; and have been accepted to major universities and conservatories including the Juilliard School Pre-College, San Francisco Conservatory Pre-College, Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University. Tong believes that enthusiasm and patience is indispensable in teaching since students have varying degrees of talents and learning abilities. She is eager to help students to build up a healthy technique, proficient musical skills, and artistic and expressive performance skills. She loves to grow with students and share her knowledge steadily, patiently, and with full commitment.
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