Emily Wanru Gao is a dedicated pianist and educator originally from China. She began her formal music education in 2015 at Inner Mongolia Arts University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. In 2020, she continued her advanced studies in the United States, completing a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Dr. John Salmon. Currently, Ms. Gao is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at George Mason University, where she studies with Dr. Anna Balakerskaia.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Ms. Gao brings extensive teaching and collaborative experience from both China and the United States. During her undergraduate years, she served as a teaching assistant at the Music School of Professors Qin Si and Beiguang Wang, and taught piano at the “Do Re Mi” Music School in Inner Mongolia. In the U.S., she was a piano instructor in the Private Lessons Program at UNCG and joined the faculty of Camp Walter Johnson in Denton, NC, in the summer of 2022, where she also served as accompanist for the camp’s Girls’ Choir.

Her collaborative work includes serving as a substitute church pianist at Mt. Hope Church in Greensboro, accompanying student juries and recitals during her undergraduate and graduate studies, and performing with the UNCG Wind Ensemble as a piano accompanist. Ms. Gao’s passion for both solo and collaborative performance, combined with her teaching experience, underscores her commitment to nurturing musical growth in her students and contributing meaningfully to the music community.