Yang and Olivia

Winners of the 2023 American Prize, the 2022 Medici International Competition, the 2021 International Artist Award, and the 2020 Silver Medal at the Global Music Awards, Yang & Olivia are an internationally recognized violin–piano duo celebrated for virtuosic artistry, compelling storytelling, and a global musical vision. Their programs blend classical masterworks with contemporary repertoire from around the world, creating performances that transcend cultural boundaries and invite meaningful connection.

The duo has appeared extensively across the United States as featured recitalists for concert associations and universities, and internationally at major venues and festivals including the Ravinia Festival, the Kennedy Center, the SESC Music Festival in Brazil, the Algarve Music Festival in Portugal, and throughout China. Their concerts are noted for both technical brilliance and thoughtfully curated programming that bridges traditions, histories, and perspectives.

Violinist Yang Liu, a prizewinner of the Twelfth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, is also a first-prize winner of the 2023 American Prize in String Performance, the 2022 Medici International Competition, the 2021 International Artist Award, and China’s 5th National Violin Competition. His performances have been praised for their expressive intensity and commanding presence.

Pianist Olivia Tsai is a respected pedagogue, scholar, and arts leader. A frequent presenter at national conferences including MTNA, CMS, NCKP, and GP3, she is recognized for her advocacy of music rooted in Chinese and Taiwanese heritage and for her leadership in expanding the chamber music canon through cross-cultural repertoire and contemporary works.

Together, Yang & Olivia founded the Yang & Olivia Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through music performance, commissioning, and community engagement. Their recent programming highlights contemporary works by Taiwanese women composers, Brazilian composers, and emerging American voices. Outreach initiatives extend their work to schools, libraries, senior communities, and faith-based venues, reinforcing their belief that chamber music belongs within the broader civic and cultural landscape.

Their innovative collaborations have included interdisciplinary performances integrating live painting by the Zhou Brothers and poetry recitation by renowned Chinese poet Bei Dao, expanding the concert experience beyond traditional formats. Their artistic initiatives have been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Available Areas: North, West, Central, East, South, Chicago Metro

Core Audiences: General

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