Yanbing Dong, a third-year Doctor of Musical Arts student in the Glenn Korff School of Music, is among 39 winners of the 2016 London Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition.
Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition is open to all nationalities and ages in strings, piano, wind, vocal and chamber music. Each discipline is divided into different age categories. The competition encourages young musicians to perform and grow.
A selected group of winners receives an invitation to perform at the Elgar Room in the Royal Albert Hall in London on Dec. 13-14. Dong has been invited to perform on Tuesday, Dec. 13.
“I was thrilled when I learned that I was invited as one of the winners to perform in the Royal Albert Hall in London,” Dong said. “The result was announced on the night of my 29th birthday. I was informed that I won second place in the competition and was on the waiting list of invited winners. It was very exciting to be invited to perform three days later.”
Dong plans to perform Haydn’s Sonata Hob. 50 in C Major in London.
“I’m excited that Yanbing will have the opportunity to perform in London’s most prestigious concert venue,” said Paul Barnes, the Marguerite Scribante Professor of Piano. “It also speaks volumes about what goes on here at the Glenn Korff School of Music. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Barnes said Dong has grown as a performer during her time at Nebraska.
“Yanbing is in her third and final year of her DMA, a past winner of the UNL Concerto Competition and is currently serving as my studio assistant,” Barnes said. “Yanbing has blossomed as an artist and teacher during her years with me at UNL. What won the competition for her was her submitted video of Liszt’s B Minor Sonata from her first DMA recital. This piece is an important piece of my own life, and I was thrilled that her performance of this transcendental work won the competition for her.”
Dong was born in the northeastern city of Daqing, China. She started her musical career at age 6. She received her Bachelor of Music degree at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. During those four years, she was awarded “Outstanding Student in Shenyang” and received a scholarship each year. In 2010, she graduated with “Outstanding Graduate” from the Piano Department.
Dong received her master’s degree from The Ohio University. During this time, she appeared as an active performer giving solo recitals and playing in chamber ensembles in many concerts.
Dong enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for her D.M.A. degree in 2014. In the fall of 2014, she won the UNL Concerto Competition and performed with the UNL Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2015. That same spring, Dong competed at the Gershwin International Music Competition as the finalist. She has also participated in the Austria Vienna International Piano Academy.