Lauded by the Washington Post as a ‘real star’, Qi Cao has performed widely as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra musician throughout China, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, appearing at prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Millennium Stage. Ms. Cao has been featured in numerous reviews, including the Washington Post, the Wisconsin State Journal, the Capital Times, the Times-Picayune, the Well-Tempered Ear, the Score Newsletter, the Singapore Embassy Newsletter, the Straits Times (Singapore), and the Instep Magazine (Singapore).
Ms. Cao joined the North Carolina Symphony in June 2018, and she plays with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra during the summer. She was a violinist at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra from 2013-2018. Ms. Cao has a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master of music degree from Yale University.
Ms. Cao won first prizes in numerous competitions including the Emerging Artist Competition in Monroe, the National Piano and Violin Competition in Singapore, the Schubert Club Bruce P. Carlson Competition in Minneapolis, the Wisconsin American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Solo Competition, the Connecticut ASTA Solo Competition, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Concerto Competition, and the Kennedy Center/NSO Summer Institute Concerto Competition. Ms. Cao received the International String Player Award at the Gisborne International Music Competition in New Zealand.
Ms. Cao previously served as the assistant principal violinist at the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and as a section violinist at the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and Madison Opera. She also performed with the Symphony Silicon Valley, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Festival Orchestra.
Ms. Cao has appeared as guest concertmaster in the Las Vegas Young Artist Orchestra, the Kennedy Center//NSO Summer Institute, Australia Summer Orchestra Institute, and Norfolk Chamber Choir Institute, and as principal second in the Round Top Music Festival. She has also participated in the Pacific Music festival (Japan), the Orford Music Academy (Canada), Singapore Arts Festival, and Shanghai (China) International Spring Music Festival.
Ms. Cao was a violin and recorder teacher for the Link-Up outreach program at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and a string faculty for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra Summer Music Festival. She has taught violin and viola lessons at the Esperanza School, the KIPP New Orleans Leadership Academy, the Community Music Lesson Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Foote School in New Haven, and the Motivate Music School in Singapore. Ms. Cao has given multiple presentations and lecture recitals in New York, Madison, New Orleans, and Shanghai (China). She frequently serves as a jury for auditions and competitions in the United States.
Born into a family of physicians, Ms. Cao has been greatly interested in music therapy. She did a project concerning how rhythmic patterns affect the diagnosis of the hidden and early-stage of autism under the instruction of Willie Ruff at Yale University, and presented the idea and related CD at the Autism Fair at the Southern State University of Connecticut in 2009. Ms. Cao participated in the Sound Health program organized by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW Hospital from 2010 to 2011. From 2014, Ms. Cao joined the Soul String program organized by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and local community services. This program is to provide help to adults with development disabilities in a live chamber music setting. Ms. Cao is also enthusiastic to bring classical music to local churches, retirement centers and airports. She was a regular musician at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport sponsored by the Tipitina Foundation. Last but not least, Ms. Cao has certificates on legal secretary and wedding planning, and she has been a Chinese-English interpreter and translator for a few conferences.
Ms. Cao joined the North Carolina Symphony in June 2018, and she plays with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra during the summer. She was a violinist at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra from 2013-2018. Ms. Cao has a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master of music degree from Yale University.
Ms. Cao won first prizes in numerous competitions including the Emerging Artist Competition in Monroe, the National Piano and Violin Competition in Singapore, the Schubert Club Bruce P. Carlson Competition in Minneapolis, the Wisconsin American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Solo Competition, the Connecticut ASTA Solo Competition, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Concerto Competition, and the Kennedy Center/NSO Summer Institute Concerto Competition. Ms. Cao received the International String Player Award at the Gisborne International Music Competition in New Zealand.
Ms. Cao previously served as the assistant principal violinist at the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and as a section violinist at the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and Madison Opera. She also performed with the Symphony Silicon Valley, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Festival Orchestra.
Ms. Cao has appeared as guest concertmaster in the Las Vegas Young Artist Orchestra, the Kennedy Center//NSO Summer Institute, Australia Summer Orchestra Institute, and Norfolk Chamber Choir Institute, and as principal second in the Round Top Music Festival. She has also participated in the Pacific Music festival (Japan), the Orford Music Academy (Canada), Singapore Arts Festival, and Shanghai (China) International Spring Music Festival.
Ms. Cao was a violin and recorder teacher for the Link-Up outreach program at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and a string faculty for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra Summer Music Festival. She has taught violin and viola lessons at the Esperanza School, the KIPP New Orleans Leadership Academy, the Community Music Lesson Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Foote School in New Haven, and the Motivate Music School in Singapore. Ms. Cao has given multiple presentations and lecture recitals in New York, Madison, New Orleans, and Shanghai (China). She frequently serves as a jury for auditions and competitions in the United States.
Born into a family of physicians, Ms. Cao has been greatly interested in music therapy. She did a project concerning how rhythmic patterns affect the diagnosis of the hidden and early-stage of autism under the instruction of Willie Ruff at Yale University, and presented the idea and related CD at the Autism Fair at the Southern State University of Connecticut in 2009. Ms. Cao participated in the Sound Health program organized by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW Hospital from 2010 to 2011. From 2014, Ms. Cao joined the Soul String program organized by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and local community services. This program is to provide help to adults with development disabilities in a live chamber music setting. Ms. Cao is also enthusiastic to bring classical music to local churches, retirement centers and airports. She was a regular musician at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport sponsored by the Tipitina Foundation. Last but not least, Ms. Cao has certificates on legal secretary and wedding planning, and she has been a Chinese-English interpreter and translator for a few conferences.
