China, 2003
New York-based pianist Yang (Jack) Gao is developing a budding career as a recitalist, composer, chamber musician and orchestral soloist. In November 2023 he won the renowned Naumburg International Piano Competition and thus gained worldwide attention. He is also a winner of the Bösendorfer International Competition (second prize, 2025), the Munz Piano Competition (2024, first prize), the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at the Juilliard School (winner, 2023), the Juilliard Concerto Competition (winner, 2023), and the Steinway Junior Piano Competition (second prize, 2019). He has given concerts in China, the United States, Germany and other countries.
In June 2025, he was invited by Martha Argerich to perform in her festival in Hamburg, and became the only pianist that year receiving the Steinway Prize awarded by Argerich herself, with her comments “I am deeply impressed by his profound sensitivity, his great stylistic flexibility, and his dazzling virtuosity, all of which he combines with a special openness both artistically and personally.” In February 2024, he gave a concert at Carnegie Hall and included a world premiere of his latest work. He was born in December 2003 and made his orchestral debut at the age of 17, performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.
3 with the Symphonic Orchestra of China Conservatory conducted by En Shao. Jack is also interested in chamber music and new music, often collaborating with other musicians and premiering new works. He has collaborated with world-renowned composers including John Corigliano and Micheal Daugherty. He was also named Best Collaborative Pianist at the 2024 Koussevitzky String Competition. He is currently a student of Jerome Lowenthal and Emanuel Ax at the Juilliard School, where he is the recipient of several scholarships.