China

Born in China, Yangrui Cai began his piano study at age four, gradually honing his talents until a 1st-place ranking in a 2016 national audition placed him in the Xinghai Conservatory Middle School. He has since taken top prizes in many major Chinese competitions, and in the past few years garnered awards internationally at the 7th Sendai International Music Competition (Japan), the 9th Bösendorfer & Yamaha USASU Competition for Young Artists (U.S.), and the 2021 Sydney International Piano Competition. He also gave an impressive performance at the 2022 Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, TX, (U.S.). Most recently, Yangrui was awarded 4th prize in the 2023 Ljubljana Festival International Piano Competition (Slovenia).

Cai has performed throughout China, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Italy, France, Canada, and the United States; appeared as a soloist with Hong Kong Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, TIMM Ensemble, and RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in masterclasses with Dmitri Bashkirov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Lev Natochenny, Michel Dalberto, Krzysztof Jablonski, Peter Donohoe, Chengzong Yin, Thai Son Dang, and Horacio Gutiérrez.

Upon his graduation with distinction at the Middle School of Xinghai Conservatory in July 2019, Yangrui was admitted to several prestigious conservatories in the U.S. with full scholarships. He recently received his Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin Conservatory and will continue to pursue his Master of Music at Park University’s International Center for Music, studying under the tutelage of world-renowned pianist, Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch.

Instagram (@yruicai)