Charis Tang, a rising sophomore at Rice University, began her piano studies at the age of six, where she was noted for her unique talent, understanding, and connection to and of music. Thus, she began to seriously study piano beginning in the second grade, under the instruction of Sandra Wright Shen. Orchestral appearances include the El Camino Youth Symphony’s Camerata Orchestra in 2008 and the youth orchestra during the Steinway Society of the Bay Area summer music camp. In 2012, she recorded a solo CD in Taiwan, and was selected to participate in the 2013 Austrian International Piano Seminar and Festival in Wiener Neustadt and 2017 Krakow Piano Summer, where her teachers included Adam Wibrowski from the Conservatory of Paris. Charis made her debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 as a winner of the American Fine Arts Festival. She has participated in master classes with Ruth Slenczynska, Hans Boepple, Frederick Weldy, Ann Schein, and Greg Anderson. Charis had been an active competitor of The United States Open Music Competition, being a 5-time gold medalist and 3-time Gold Medal Finalist. In addition, she was a Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition finalist, honorable mention and second-place recipient of the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, semifinalist of the Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, one of the finalists of the Lang Lang Foundation audition, and second-prize winner of the SF Youth Asian Talent Competition, receiving numerous scholarships. Charis has made several appearances in Sandra Shen’s “Inspiration from Above” concert series. Besides solo performances, Charis also loves accompanying, which is why she first started accompanying in the fourth grade for various school plays. Continuing this, she was the accompanist for the middle school choir for all three years, consistently winning the exclusive prize of “Outstanding Accompanist” at every festival the choir participated in. Charis also accompanied for Crystal Choir which she used to attend, accompanies for her current high school choir for the past two years she’s been in the program, her church, and was asked to accompany for several competitors of the Junior Bach Festival. She believes that music should be used to touch lives, which is why she regularly performs for senior homes since the first grade. Charis has been selected to perform in the Junior Bach Festival, the American Liszt Society Festival, and the MTAC Branch Festival. Charis is a CM Panel Honors winner, as well as an ABRSM level 8 student who passed with distinction. She was also invited to be a participant in two highly-selective scholarship summer music programs and invited to perform at the Peanuts movie premiere press event. She currently studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Dr. William Wellborn, where she is also an active participant in the acapella club, youth chorus, chamber ensembles, and is a student tutor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, enjoying time with her family and friends, exercising, volunteering, and helping others.