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Born in the south of China, Pianist Mengyiyi Chen began piano lessons at the age of four and soon demonstrated her remarkable talent by performing public concerts. Her later musical studies included earning an Honorary Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Wuhan Conservatoire of Music, where she studied with Liping Jiang. During her time at the conservatoire, she was selected to collaborate with the strings department, had a piano trio that performed frequently, and was hired by the composition department as a teaching assistant for conducting classes.
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Her musical activities continued with extensive public acclaim both as a soloist and a collaborative pianist. Further study brought a Master of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied piano with Phillip Kawin and chamber music with Nicholas Mann. She also was awarded the Professional Study Certificate. Thereafter, she worked towards a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the College of Music at the University of North Texas, studying with Joseph Banowetz and Steven Harlos. She continues to study collaborative piano as a minor with Elvia Puccinelli.
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Mengyiyi has won international competitions and awards, including the 2015 Helen Taylor Johannsen International Piano Competition in the United States, the 2017 Castelnuovo di Garfagnana Piano Competition in Italy, the UNT 2020-2021 Concerto Competition, and a full scholarship award to the Seattle International Piano Festival in 2021. Her album "Mel Bonis Piano Solo Volume 1," released in October 2023 by London Toccata label, has received numerous reviews and accolades and has been featured on BBC Radio and in various major magazines.