Dr. Jiao Sun enjoys an international performing career, featuring a broad range of styles from the prior Baroque era to the avant-garde. Born in Harbin China and studied piano at age 4, Sun has nationally won the first prize to be admitted to Beijing Central Conservatory of Music at age 9 before her solo debut with orchestra at age 11 and won the prestigious Chinese “Chengxian Fu” memorial Scholarship. Beginning of her teenager years, she was semifinalist at Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition for Young Musicians (China) and has advanced in Chopin International Piano Competition for Young Musicians (Russia). Sun has won top prizes at competitions such as the Washington International Piano Competition (USA), Memphis International Orchestra Repertoire Competition (USA), Cincinnati Conservatory Concerto Competition (USA), two Chautauqua Piano Competitions (USA), “A Step Towards Mastery” International Piano Competition (Russia), Golden Bell National Competition for Young Musicians (China). She has performed extensively across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Sun has performed in major concert series nationwide includes Chicago Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert, New York Rising Stars Piano Series, Cincinnati Zemlinsky Prize Concerts, Washington International Musical Competition Concert, University of Chicago Concert Series among others. She has attended Bowdoin International Music Festival, PianoFest in the Hamptons, Aspen Music Festival, and two Chautauqua Music Festivals. She has soloed with Memphis Repertory Orchestra, Cincinnati Conservatory Philharmonia Orchestra, and Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonia Orchestra. Her concert has been aired on Chicago WFMT 98.7 and Cincinnati WGUC 90.9 radios. She has performed in masterclasses with worldwide renowned musicians such as Garry Graffman, Robert McDonald, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Ran Dank, Logan Skelton, Natalya Antonova, Aviram Reichert, Enrico Elisi, Guangren Zhou, among others. Her 2023-2024 season highlights include performing at Cincinnati Christ Church Cathedral Concert Series and Covington Trinity Episcopal Church Concert Series as returning guest artist, solo and give masterclass at Denison University Michael D Eisner Center for the Performing Arts, performing at Utah State University Caine College of Music and at Society of Composer, Inc regional concert; and becoming the editor-in-chief of Rochester (NY) based Chinese and English bilingual art and music magazine “ALONG 同行” 2024 summer edition featuring worldwide famous professional musicians in various fields.
An active and extensive chamber music artist, Sun’s “SunRix Trio” has been acknowledged by Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition for their Outstanding Performance after won 1st place at the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Competition and 2nd prize at the Cincinnati Conservatory Chamber Music Competition. She has attended the Cincinnati Chamber Music Festival as a fellowship artist and has been selected as a fellow for the Toronto Chamber Music Festival. Sun has collaborated with the classical world’s most exciting soloists, including Vincent and Gabriel DiMartino, Jason Smith, Roger Braun, Hongsup Lee, among others. She has performed as the guest artist at numerous concerts at the Cincinnati “La Salle” music series, Northern Kentucky University, two Eastman Honors recitals, and Walnut High School. She has served as collaborative pianist at Eastman Community Music School and at Cincinnati Conservatory Preparatory Department and was a keyboardist at Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra. Sun has performed substantially with various dancers and with a wide variety of instruments including strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboard; with singers of classical voice and musical theatre include Eastman Chamber Singers choir. Meanwhile, the collaborative students she accompanied have won National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition, New Albany Student Concerto Competition, Ohio University Concerto Competitions, and University of Rochester Student Concerto Competition.
Serving as adjunct piano faculty and collaborative artist in residence at Ohio University School of Music since 2021, Sun has also joined jury at the Ohio Duo and Duet International Piano Competition and Hong Kong International Global Music Talent Contest. She holds a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and an Artist Diploma with Soyeon Kate Lee at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where she won the Graduate Excellence in Teaching Award as the head of graduate teaching assistant besides winning the 3rd prize at the Ohio “Tuesday” Scholarship Competition and the noble Dorothy Stolzenbach Payne Scholarships; she has also earned a minor in piano pedagogy with Michelle Conda. Sun has earned a Master of Music degree in piano performance and literature with Douglas Humpherys and a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance with Rebecca Penneys at the Eastman School of Music. Her other major mentors include Hwaen Ch’uqi, James Tocco, Ann Schein, Paul Schenly, Bernadene Blaha, Elinor Freer, Sylvie Beaudette, members of Ariel Quartet and Ying Quartet.
Dr. Sun has also served as a coordinator assistant at Ohio Music Teachers Association piano competition young artist division, as a Co-President at the Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) CCM chapter, and as the liaison between the Cincinnati Keyboard Club and CCM for years. She has taught applied lessons and group classes for the Secondary Piano Departments at CCM and at Eastman School of Music for seven years in total. She has presented twice at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) and at the MTNA Collegiate Chapters Piano Pedagogy Symposium. She has won 3rd prize for the poster session at the OhioMTA conference and has been published in the MTNA E-Journal as an invited reporter at the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (GP3). Sun has also studied Chinese instrument Koto and classical ballet for years.