About Sarah Mei Li

Dynamic Chinese pianist Mei Li was born in Chengdu, China, into a musical family. She began her piano studies at the age of five and later became an apprentice of the renowned Chinese piano pedagogue Dan Zhaoyi.

At the age of twelve, she was admitted to the Affiliated Middle School of Sichuan Conservatory of Music, where she received rigorous professional training. Following her graduation, Dr. Li was awarded a full scholarship to Northern Illinois University in the United States, where she studied with American pianist William Goldenberg.

She later earned her Master's degree in piano performance and continued to explore the virtuoso repertoire before completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kansas. Her principal teachers include distinguished American pianists Jack Winerock and Steven Spooner, and she studied piano pedagogy with the noted expert Scott McBride Smith.

Dr. Li has received top prizes in multiple international piano competitions, including the International IBLA Grand Prize Competition and the International Virtuoso Grand Prize Competition. As an active pianist and soloist, Dr. Li has performed in major venues across China, including the Hong Kong Concert Hall, Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall, and Shenzhen Concert Hall. In the United States, she has appeared as a soloist at the World Conference on Women in Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Dr. Li is also the Co-Founder of the Chicago International Music Competition and Festival. Her doctoral research, completed under the guidance of renowned Liszt scholar Alan Walker, focuses on the late works of Franz Liszt. She is a member of the American Liszt Society and serves on the board of its University of Kansas chapter. In addition to her performing career, Dr. Li is a highly respected piano educator whose students have achieved outstanding success in both national and international competitions.