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 About Me           

Dr. Yu-Chi Tai

 

Yu-Chi Tai is Steinway Ensemble Artist and former Professor of Piano at University of Texas Pan American. She made her first orchestral debut at age 14 with the Tainan City Youth Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15. Since then, she has won numerous international competitions and appeared in many concerts. Tai has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia as a solo recitalist, chamber pianist and collaborative musician. 

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She has been a soloist with the Tainan Youth Orchestra, University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra, UTPA Wind Ensemble, UTPA Chamber Orchestra, Killington Chamber Orchestra and South Texas Valley Symphony Orchestra. Tai also has given master classes in America and Taiwan. She was invited to be artist faculty at Montecito international Music Festival, DoCha Chamber Music Festival, C’est Bon Chamber Festival, and Killington Music Festival. Recently, Ehlen-Tai Piano Duo debut CD was published during summer 2016 by Azica Records.

 

In 2014, Tai founded the Encore! Piano Association, which promotes piano music in the community and helps developing UTPA students to become more successful pianists and educators. The Association invites internationally renowned pianists to give master classes and concerts to inspire and motivate students. She collaborates with local piano teachers and students in the community to develop the growth of piano-related activities. Meanwhile, Tai has served on the judging committee of Music Teachers’ Association of California Piano Competition, South Texas Piano Competition, US Open Music Competition, US New Star Piano Competition, and Beethoven Society Competition. Her students accomplishments include being prizewinners of New York Debut Young Musicians Competition, United States International Music competition, MTAC Piano Solo Competition, US Open Music Competition, MVMTA Piano Competition, Music Legacy Open Competition, US New Star Piano Competition, Elite International music Competition and Steinway Junior Competition.

 

Currently, she directs a private studio in Bay Area, CA. For more information, please visit my Artist website: www.yuchitai.com

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Teaching Experience

 

  • ​Director of TAI Music Studio, Bay Area, CA​​​ (2016)

  • ​​Professor of Piano​, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2014-2016)

  • Guest Pianist, Montecito International Music Festival​ (2015)

  • Piano Faculty, C'est Bon Chamber Festival​ (2015-2016)

  • Director, Encore! Piano Association​ (2014-2016)

  • Piano Faculty, Killington Music Festival​ (2014)

  • Visiting Professor of Piano​, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2012-2014)

  • Accompanying Staff​, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana​ (2011-2012)

  • Teaching Assistant​, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (2006-2011) 

  • Accompanying Assistant​​, Indiana University Bloomington (2003-2005) 

  • Direct private studio, Taipei Taiwan (2000-2003) 

Education
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  • Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance; Minor in Theory

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Artist Diploma in Piano Performance

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Master of Music in Piano Performance

Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music

  • Performance Diploma in Piano Performance

Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Piano Performance; Minor in Cello

National Taiwan Normal University

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Selected Awards/Honors

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  • Steinway Ensemble Artist, Ehlen-Tai Piano Duo (with Timothy Ehlen), Steinway Concert and Artist department, New York (2012)

  • Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship (2012-2013) 

  • Guest Artist, Piano Concerto with Valley Symphony Orchestra, TX (2012-2014)

  • First Prize, Artist Presentation Society, MO (2011)

  • First Prize, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra Piano Concerto Competition, IL (2010)        

  • Creative Musician Award, the Banff Centre, Canada (2010)  

  • University Fellowship Award, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2010)

  • First Prize, Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, New York (2008)

  • Carnegie Hall debut, New York  (2008)

  • First Prize, Krannert Debut Artist Award, IL(2008)  

  • Guest Pianist, , David Lang (Pulitzer Prize winner composer), music festival of “Bang on a Can Marathon” (2008) 

  • Excellence in private piano instruction, University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign (2008)

  • Teaching Assistantship, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2007-2010)  

  • First Prize, Concerto Competition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2007)

  • Accompanying Assistantship, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2006-2007)

  • Hakonson Chamber Scholarship for Great Chamber Musicians, Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music  (2005)  

  • Accompanying Assistantship, Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music (2004-2006)                                          

  • Merit Scholarship for the Outstanding Musician, Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music (2003) 

  • T.F. and Emma A. Culver Scholarship, Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music (2003)        

  • Outstanding Piano Trio Award, the Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan (2003)  

  • 1st place Graduate, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

  • KAWAI Outstanding Musician Award, KAWAI, Taiwan (2001) 

  • Outstanding Student Scholarship, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan (2001)

  • 3rd Prize, Internationaler Klavierwettbewerb Romantischer Stern, Germany (2001)    

  • KAWAI Outstanding Musician Award, KAWAI, Taiwan (1993)                     

 

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