A 9th grader at Avon High School and a member of the Connecticut Youth Symphony, Liya Tang began Suzuki cello at age 4 and Suzuki piano at age 6 at the Hartt School of Music Community Division (HCD). Her current teachers are Blake Brasch (cello) and Malgosia Lis (piano).
Major music honors and awards include:
• Selected by audition and participated in the 2022-2023 CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Association) all-state music festival orchestra
• Selected by audition to perform at the HCD Piano Honors recital and won the Evelyn Bonar Storrs II scholarship (for best performance by a pianist in 9th-11th grade)
• 3rd prize in the Junior 4 Hands division and honorable mention in the senior division at the 2023 J. Y. Park Piano Competition
• 2nd place winner in the piano category and 3rd place winner in the Strings category for her age group in the 2023 American Music Talent Competition
• Principal cellist / audition perfect score recipient at the 2022-2023 CMEA Northern Region High School Music Festival orchestra
• 1st prize for piano in the 2022 Charleston International Romantic Music Competition (14 age group)
• CT State Winner and Eastern Division Finalist of the 2022 MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) Junior String Competition
• 2nd prize for cello and for piano in the 2022 Charleston International European Music Competition (13-14 age group)
• 1st prize for Youth Strings and 3rd prize for Youth Piano in the 2022 CT Bach Festival
• 2nd prize in group 3 of the 2022 Hartford Music Teacher’s Alliance’s Virtuoso Piano Competition
• Selected by audition to perform in the 2022 HCD Piano Honors recital
• Selected principal cellist in the Opus ’89 orchestra at the Hartt School of Music (2022)
• Finalist for strings and for piano in the highly-selective school-wide 2021 Hartt Honors Artist competition
• Selected by audition as principal cellist in the 2019-2020 CMEA Northern Region Middle School Music Festival orchestra (event canceled)
• Accepted by audition to join piano master classes, a piano ensemble, and orchestras for the biannual Suzuki Association of the Americas Conferences (2020 & 2018; 2020 event canceled)
• 1st prize in the Young Artist Piano category and 2nd prize in the Young Artist Instrumental category in the 2019 New York Global Music Competition; Invited to perform at Carnegie Hall
Liya has been actively participating in talent-based volunteering activities to share the love of music, promote music education, and raise money for various nonprofit organizations.
You can find Liya’s 2022 European Music Competition cello performance here.
You can find Liya’s 2022 European Music Competition piano performance here.
You can find Liya’s 2022 Romantic Music Competition piano performance here.
You can find Liya’s 2023 Spring Music Competition cello performance here.