Laureate of the Washington International Piano Competition, Dr. Jiao Sun has been lauded by New York Concert Review as a pianist "whose gifts are prodigious, who has all the skills needed for a successful career as a performing artist, and who is the perfect ambassador for classical music," by WFMT Chicago for "expressive range and stunning technique," and by Sing Tao Daily (Hong Kong/Los Angeles) among others. Born in Harbin, China, she relocated to Beijing after winning the 1st place in admission to the Central Conservatory of Music at age 9 with full scholarship. This was followed by her solo debut with orchestra at age 11; a year later, she became a semifinalist at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition for Young Musicians. Among her top prizes, she has won 1st prize at the Memphis International Repertory Orchestra Competition, 1st prize at the Cincinnati Conservatory Concerto Competition, 1st and 2nd prizes at two Chautauqua Piano Competitions, 2nd prize at the Russian “A Step Towards Mastery” International Piano Competition, and 1st prize at the Chinese Golden Bell National Competition for Young Musicians.
Dr. Sun has performed extensively across North America, Europe, and Asia. She will debut on PBS Radio in Rochester, NY in fall, 2025, with Eastman faculty, who is also a cellist of Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at "Live from Hochstein" Concert Series. The highlights of recent seasons include appearances at the Dame Myra Hess memorial series, the Liliane Questel Recital Series in New York, the Zemlinsky Prize Concerts in Cincinnati, the Washington competition concert, "An Die Musik LIVE" in Baltimore, and the Vivace competition concert in Vancouver, BC. She has soloed with the Memphis Repertory Orchestra, the Cincinnati Conservatory Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonia Orchestra. In addition to performances at prestigious halls such as the Chan Centre, Elizabeth Lenna Hall, Eastman Kilbourn Hall, and Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall, she has also made guest appearances at institutions such as the University of Chicago, Columbia College, Ohio Denison University, China Conservatory of Music, Tianjin Conservatory of Music, and Beijing People's University.
Dr. Sun is an active chamber musician. Selected as one of the six piano trios worldwide that advanced in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, she also took 1st prize at the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Competition and 2nd prize at the Cincinnati Conservatory Chamber Music Competition. Dr. Sun has performed at the Ascent International Chamber Music Festival, Cincinnati “La Salle” series, and Northern Kentucky University. She has performed alongside Toke Møldrup, Vincent and Gabriel DiMartino, and Patricia Seymour Alexander among others.
Dr. Sun is recognized as a judge of international standing. She has adjudicated the Vivace International Piano Competition, the Ohio Duo and Duet International Piano Competition, the Hong Kong International Global Music Talent Contest, the Orbifold International Piano Competition (in which she also served as a regional director), and the OhioMTA Buckeye Piano Auditions.
Dr. Sun has also contributed to professional conferences. She presented twice at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and at the MTNA Collegiate Chapters Piano Pedagogy Symposium. She won 3rd prize for the poster session at the OhioMTA conference and was published in the MTNA E-Journal for National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum GP3.
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Dr. Sun is equally sought after as a performer and a pedagogue. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and an Artist Diploma with Soyeon Kate Lee from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she also minored in piano pedagogy with Michelle Conda. Sun gained 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, both at the Eastman School of Music. From 2021-2024, Dr. Sun served as a piano faculty and collaborative artist-in-residence at the Ohio University School of Music, where she now teaches as master teacher of piano at its affiliated Athens Community Music School.