Global Music Award Silver Medalist Yang and Olivia is a dynamic violin-piano duo who create an unforgettable storytelling event in their program, featuring contemporary and classical works from different parts of the world. They have been the featured recitalists for many concert associations, performing across the United States, and appearing internationally highlighted by performances at major festivals and venues, such as Ravinia Festival, Kennedy Center, SESC Music Festival in Brazil, Algarve Music Festival in Portugal and throughout their homeland China, among others.Violinist Yang Liu is the prize winner of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the first prize winner of the American Prize in String Performance in 2023, the 2022 Medici International Competition, the 2021 International Artists Award Competition, and China’s 5th National Competition. Olivia is a frequent presenter of MTNA, CMS, NCKP, GP3 conferences and other music festivals, promoting music of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage.
The duo founded the Yang and Olivia Foundation, advocating diversity, equity, and inclusion through music of different cultures. Recently, they dedicate their performances to contemporary works by Taiwanese women composers, Brazilian composers and young composers from the US. They have many outreaches to schools, senior homes and libraries. Topics include “Red Music”, “5000-Mile Journey”, and “Lost in Diversity”, all focus on compositions of diverse influences. In the past, the duo participated in several innovative multi-media, multi-art-form performances involving improvisations with the famed Chinese artists the Zhou Brothers painting live, while major Chinese poet Bei-Dao recited his poetry. The foundation’s achievements are recognized by grants from National Endowment for the Arts, MidAtlantic Arts and Illinois Arts Council Agency. Ultimately, with their performances, they want to also communicate their message of faith, love, and joy.
Yang and Olivia were both students at the University of Cincinnati when they first met. At the time, Yang Liu was a sought-after violinist and a prodigy from China. Olivia was an accomplished pianist combining both scholarly and concert activities. Their life coincided when Yang, a complete stranger to Olivia, was asked at the last minute by Olivia to turn pages for her at her performance. From then on, they have been life partners and music partners ever since, sharing stories with audiences through their music.
Yang Liu
Yang Liu is the prize winner of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the first prize winner of the American Prize in String Performance in 2023, the 2022 Medici International Competition, the 2021 International Artists Award Competition, and China’s 5th National Competition. The New York Times described his playing as “a scorching performance”. His repertoire ranges from baroque to the most contemporary of works, and from Western classical to Eastern traditional music.
Yang Liu made his North American debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, earning three nights of standing ovations for his performance of Paganini’s First Violin Concerto. This success was followed by performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; Hagen Symphony Orchestra, Germany; and many others. Recently with the Odense Symphony Orchestra, Denmark, under Maestro Christoph Eberle in a highly successful tour throughout China of which a Chinese newspaper commented: “…The Carl Nielsen concerto was soloed by Chinese violinist Yang Liu who gave an absolutely sensational performance which touched the deepest spot of our hearts… Such a musician has been rarely heard for the past ten years…” He also completed a 5-city tour in China performing the Butterfly Concerto with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, as part of the China-US cultural exchange initiated by Secretary of State of the US John Kerry, and chairman of the Cultural Department of China Mr. Luo.
Other recent engagements include concerto performances with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota, Colombia performing Barber’s Violin Concerto under Maestro Amadio. Orchestras repeatedly engage him for his appealing musicality and persona. He has performed multiple times with the Ospa State Orchestra in Brazil, the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in China, the East Oregon Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra, and Highland Park Strings in the US. A highly sought-after guest artist and teacher, he performed and taught for many years at Roosevelt University, Columbia College of Music, VanderCook College of Music, Aspen Music Festival, Oficina Music Festival, and Sesc Music Festival in Brazil, and the Great Wall Music Festival in China.
Olivia Tsai
Dr. Olivia I-Hsuan Tsai is an associate professor at VanderCook College of Music and a Fulbright Scholar of 2024-2025. She is a frequent presenter at major conferences such as the College Music Society, Music Teachers National Association, National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy, and Illinois Music Teachers Association, featuring music of diverse cultural influences. Her book “Schubert’s Piano Trios” was published by Scholar’s Press in Germany in 2014. Dr. Tsai was appointed in 2017 as a guest professor at Lanzhou Northwestern University. She also performs at many colleges and universities, including Roosevelt University and Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Coastal Carolina College in NC and Nebraska University in Kearney.
In addition, Dr. Tsai has appeared as a soloist with QingDao Concert Hall Orchestra, Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Highland Park Strings. She was the staff pianist of the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival and Musicorda Music Festival in the US, as well as artist faculty/performer of Oficina Music Festival, Curitiba Music Festival in Brazil and Algarve Music Festival in Portugal. In 2018, she founded the Yang and Olivia Foundation whose mission is to promote music of diverse cultural influences. The foundation’s achievements were recognized by various grants and honors such as Endowment of the Arts and Western Arts Alliance.
Dr. Tsai came to the United States in 1993 not only as a pianist but also as a bassoonist. She received her Bachelor of Music degree with a high scholastic achievement award in 1996, and a Master of Music in both piano and bassoon at Indiana University in Bloomington as an Emma E. Claus Scholarship recipient in 1999. She went on to earn her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (UC, CCM) as a recipient of a graduate scholarship, where she also served as faculty at CCM’s preparatory department. During her student years, she was the winner of the Buckeye Piano Competition, the Graves Piano Competition in the US, and the Young Artist Series in Taiwan.
