Praised by master Fou Ts'ong as "a true genius," Dr. Yao is a pianist with unparalleled passion, deep insight, and brilliant virtuosity. In the summer of 2024, He had successfully held a series of eight recitals and four lectures in eight cities throughout China, including in five universities and the city center of Shanghai. He has performed as a concert pianist in many world-class venues, including the historic Salle Gaveau in Paris, in where he performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Jian Li and Ostinato Studio Orchestra in 2013. Other venues include Paul Recital Hall of Lincoln Center in New York, Harris Concert Hall in Aspen, Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Ningbo Concert Hall among others. Dr. Yao is also an avid collaborative pianist and chamber musician. He has performed chamber music in Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings concert, Music Matinee of Shanghai Concert Hall, Steinway Hall New York, and Tuba Bach Festival in Big Rapids Michigan. Besides traditional venues, he has also committed to bringing music to wider audiences. He has given recitals in DOROT “Generations Helping Generations” in Manhattan, New York, Burcham Hill Retirement Center in East Lansing, and United Methodist Church in Grand Ledge. He has also successfully given an interactive music lecture in Public Elementary School 321 in Brooklyn, New York.​​

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Dr. Yao is the alumnus of the prestigious Aspen Music Festival & School, Kulturinitiative Goslar in Germany, The Morningside Music Bridge and The International Keyboard Institute & Festival in New York. He has studied with many world-renowned musicians, including Fou Ts’ong, Arie Vardi, Yoheved Kaplinsky and Hung-Kuan Chen among others. In 2021, he published the memorial article “Looking Back to Maestro Fou Ts’ong” in the top classical music journal Piano Artistry in China. 

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Dr. Yao holds his B.M. at The Juilliard School, his M.M. at Mannes School of Music and his D.M.A. at Michigan State University. He is also an alumnus of the Music Middle School of Shanghai Conservatory. His teachers include Deborah Moriarty, Jerome Lowenthal, Simone Dinnerstein, Jianzhong Wang and Chen Jiang. He is now pursuing his second Doctor of Musical Art in collaborative piano at Michigan State University under the tutelage of  Zhi-hua Tang. He has been the collaborative pianist in Hope College since 2024.