YANGRUI CAI – CHINA (24)

Chinese pianist Yangrui Cai began piano studies at age four. From 8 and 12, he studied with Jay Sun, continuing with Dr. Vivian Li of the Xinghai Conservatory until college. In 2016, he was admitted to the Xinghai Conservatory Middle School with a first-place ranking in the national auditions. He has since taken top prizes in all the major competitions in China.

Yangrui has won prizes at major international competitions including the Sendai International Music Competition, the 9th Bösendorfer & Yamaha USASU Competition for Young Artists, and the Sydney International Piano Competition. He distinguished himself at the Cliburn International Piano Competition (2022) with an impressive performance. In 2023, he was awarded fourth prize in The Ljubljana Festival International Piano Competition (Slovenia) and first prize in the Japan Piano Open International Competition.

Yangrui has given solo recitals in China, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Italy, France, Canada and the United States. He has appeared as a soloist with the Hangzhou, Sendai, Azerbaijan and Hong Kong Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, the Guangzhou, RTV Slovenia and Armenian Symphony Orchestras, and the TIMM Ensemble in Italy. He has been awarded full scholarships to several music festivals including Morningside Music Bridge and Tanglewood. He has performed in master classes with Dmitri Bashkirov, Antonio Pompa-Bald , Stanislav Ioudenitch, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Lev Natochenny, Michel Dalberto, Krzysztof Jablonski, Peter Donohoe, Chengzong Yin, Thai Son Dang, Horacio Gutirrez, Robert Spano and Yefim Bronfman.

Upon graduation with distinction from the Middle School of Xinghai Conservatory in 2019, Yangrui was admitted to several conservatories in the US with full scholarships. He recently received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory and is pursuing his Master of Music degree at Park University under the tutelage of world-renowned pianist, Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch.