Vivian performs on Show 468.

Vivian Kao (piano), 17, hails from Cupertino, California, and studies with Sasha Starcevich. Vivian was recently named a 2024 National YoungArts Winner in Classical Music. She was the first place state winner of the 2024 CAPMT Contemporary Competition and has won prizes at MTNA California, MTAC Solo, CAPMT Honors, ENKOR International, Marilyn Mindell, American Fine Arts Festival, Burlingame Music Competition, and the United States Open Music Competition. She has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, the Van Cliburn Concert Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Robert Schumann Museum in Germany. Vivian performed at the Southeastern Piano Festival, the PianoTexas International Festival, and the American Liszt Society Festival. She has attended masterclasses with professors Armen Babakhanian, Steven Spooner, Veda Kaplinsky, Tamás Ungár, Igor Resnianski, and Gabriel Kwok.

Vivian also enjoys playing the cello. She is a section leader in her school’s orchestra and has performed in the California All-State High School Orchestra and the California Youth Symphony.

Vivian has severe hearing loss and wears hearing aids, but that doesn’t stop her from learning music. She holds an interest in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine and hopes to see a time where individuals with hearing loss are able to fully appreciate music without the usage of hearing aids through ear hair cell regeneration.