Xiting Yang is a pianist who fundamentally values expressivity and communication in performance. These qualities have been recognized repeatedly over the years as she has claimed top prizes in numerous solo piano competitions including Schumann International Piano Competition-Southern China Division; Chong-Sin International piano competition in Singapore; Indianapolis MMC Scholarship Competition; American Protege Competition; Edward Auer Piano Workshop Concerto Competition; various MTNA competitions; and the Indiana University Piano Concerto Competition. Ms. Yang was invited to perform as well as interviewed on the University of Florida WUFT classical radio program “Magnum Opus with Richard Drake.” Recently she received the President’s Professional Engagement prize and the Audience Favorite prize at the Seattle International Piano Competition which included return engagements in Oregon and Washington.
While a student at the Affiliated High School of Sichuan Conservatory, Ms. Yang was a contracted artist of Chengdu Yamaha Company and performed a recital sponsored by Yamaha, playing the works of Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt. Her music festivals include PianoTexas in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilmore International Music Festival and Gijòn International Piano Festival in Spain where she also served as Festival Fellow and Assistant to the Director. During her DMA study, she was invited to play in Stull Hall at Oberlin Conservatory and solo recitals in Candas, Spain. These performances were praised by La Nueva Espana, singling out her exciting concert of “strength and momentum,” and describing it as a “masterful performance that delighted a big audience.” Recent engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall in New York; Steinway Series in Tampa, Florida; Music at Midday Series in New Orleans, Louisiana; One Voice Music Series in Grosse Pointe, Michigan; Tutunov Series in Ashland, Oregon; Resonance Series in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Yang has been invited to adjudicate multiple prestigious international piano competitions including the Seattle International Piano Competition and Claudette Sorel International Piano Competition.
Ms. Yang received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University, master degree from Rice University, and doctor of musical arts from the University of Michigan. Her primary teachers include Edward Auer, Robert Roux and Logan Skelton. She recently served as Visiting Professor of Piano at Loyola University New Orleans, and is now a Visiting Professor of Piano at State University of New York Fredonia.
The concerts are generously sponsored by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and by individual donors.