TIANMI WU
Tianmi Wu was born on December 22, 1997, in Ningbo, China. At the age of five, she began studying piano under teachers Lin Yuanning and Dai Mingjia in Ningbo and was recommended to study under Professor Zhou Mi at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2003, embarking on a professional path in piano performance. Under Mi's careful guidance, Wu entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music's affiliated primary school in 2005 with top honors and began studying under Professor Yang Yunlin. During her nine years of study at the affiliated primary and secondary schools, she was recommended to participate in various competitions such as the Pearl National Piano Competition, Ding Shande Piano Competition, and the 4th Asian Youth Competition, earning outstanding results. Additionally, she was active in performances and master classes both inside and outside of school, including collaborations with teachers Zhu Yafen and Cao Zhijue at the Shanghai Concert Hall for the 80th Anniversary of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the concert in memory of Professor Wu Leyi, and the "Piano Exam Mobilization" demonstration performance at the Hangzhou Grand Theater. In 2015, Wu graduated from the affiliated school with excellent grades and went to Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the United States to study under Professor Angela Cheng.
The four years of college were highly significant for Wu. Under the patient and considerate guidance of Professor Angela Cheng, she received scholarships and competition awards for solo piano at the school. She won the Rudolf Serkin Scholarship and the John Elvin Competition with top honors and achieved first place in the concerto competition, earning the opportunity to perform Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the Oberlin Orchestra. She represented the school in various activities and performances, including the Freshman Welcome Ceremony, Graduation Ceremony, and a visiting performance in Oakton, Virginia. During these four years, she was nominated to attend many important masterclasses with masters such as Peter Frankl, William Grant Naboré, Dang Thai Son, Jerome Lowenthal, Robert Mcdonald, Pavlina Dokovska, and others. In addition to progress in piano performance, Wu chose to challenge herself further by successfully pursuing a minor in Western Music History and learning solid music education theory from renowned American piano educator Andrea McAlister. The combination of theory and performance greatly benefited her during this stage. In 2019, she graduated from Oberlin Conservatory and entered the Cincinnati Conservatory with a full scholarship to study for a master's degree under Professor Ran Dank. That same year, she also participated in the Bowdoin International Music Festival and received the Three Arts Scholarship at the Cincinnati Conservatory. In 2021, she was admitted to the University of Cincinnati for her DMA with another full scholarship. Under the careful and helpful guidance of Professor Ran Dank, she won the concerto competition once more and successfully performed with the Cincinnati Conservatory Orchestra in the same year. In April 2023, Wu won the first prize of the Lima Symphony Orchestra Friends of the Symphony Young Artist Competition.