Yang Yang Cai

Yang Yang Cai (b. 1998) began her piano studies at the age of five with Noor Relijk and later studied for ten years under Jan Wijn. She graduated with the highest distinction from the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2019. In 2023, she earned her diploma from the prestigious Accademia Pianistica di Imola, studying with Enrico Pace. She then completed her Master’s degree at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Frank van de Laar and recently an Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London under Norma Fisher. Yang Yang is passionate about creating meaningful and imaginative concert programs and frequently collaborates with artists across disciplines. She believes music is a universal language, and her performances are guided by honesty, transparency, and emotional connection. Through a sincere approach, she aims to make music accessible to all. As a soloist, Yang Yang made her debut in the Great Hall of the Concertgebouw in 2023 with Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, receiving critical acclaim. Her performing career began at age nine and has brought her to major venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Royal Theater Carré, and Laeiszhalle Hamburg. Internationally, she has performed in Germany, Taiwan, and the United States. Since 2017, Yang Yang has been a member of the Amsterdam Piano Trio, alongside violinist Shin Sihan and cellist Alexander Warenberg. Together, they have performed works by Beethoven, Ravel, and Shostakovich in prestigious venues including the Small Hall of the Concertgebouw. “Playing with them is a wonderful experience every time,” she reflects. She has participated in masterclasses with leading pianists including Ronald Brautigam, Boris Berman, Matti Raekallio, Jacques Rouvier, Klaus Hellwig, Alexander Gavrylyuk, and Arie Vardi. A formative experience was her time at Maria João Pires’ Belgais Center for Arts in 2019, where she explored a deeper, more personal connection with music. Yang Yang has received numerous awards, including first prize at the Steinway Piano Competition (2008, 2012), the Classic Young Masters Award (2017), and the Grand Prix Youri Egorov at the Young Pianist Foundation Competition (2019), where she performed Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto with the Conservatory of Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra under Jean-Bernard Pommier. In 2022, she was awarded the Marina Bondarenko Memorial Prize at the Tel-Hai International Piano Masterclasses. She has appeared at prominent festivals such as the Delft Chamber Music Festival, Grachtenfestival, Festival Wonderfeel, Lowlands, Schiermonnikoog Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. Yang Yang is grateful for the generous support of the VandenEnde Foundation, Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds, Ars Donandi, NL Talentenfonds, Cultuurfonds, Talent Unlimited, and others. She performs on a Steinway & Sons D-274, generously provided by the Voorlinden Foundation.