RUOHAN LI

“Joanna Li is a gifted pianist … playing energetically and expressively” – V. Merzhanov, juror of International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw “… marvelous technique ... moving timbre ...” – B. Lvov, renowned German pianist ​ Joanna Li was born into a family of musicians in China. Her parents are both vocal performers. Joanna started to play piano at four and gave her first performance on stage at five. She has won many prizes in piano competitions since her childhood. She studied piano playing in Russia for ten years, under the tutelage of Professor Merzhanov, embodying one of the four piano schools in Moscow Conservatory (namely Merzhanov, Gornostayeva, Voskresensky and Dorensky). Joanna Li was granted the title of “Solo Performer” by the Russian Government, which is only conferred on the most outstanding conservatory graduates in the country. She was awarded the Doctor’s degree in piano performance, with full marks, by one of the most prestigious conservatories in the world - the Moscow Conservatory. Joanna Li was the winner of two international piano competitions, namely the International Piano Competition Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Mozart’s Birth and the International Slavonic Piano Competition in Russia. ​ Joanna has been invited to perform in international music festivals and to adjudicate in international competitions in Poland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, China, Hong Kong, USA, Russia, Mexico and Argentina. She was also in duet with world-famous musicians such as Sergey Antonov (USA), Tatiana Samouil(Belgium), Stéphane Tran Ngoc and Igor Yuzefovich. Her performances have enthralled the audience. ​ Joanna’s own piano school, namely Joanna Li Piano Arts Centre, commits to the vision of training future musicians. She was awarded the title of Professor in Russia in 2011. She is the author of the book Lectures on Piano Exams. She also regularly gives master classes and stages concerts with her students. Her students have already won more than 100 national and international prizes in piano competitions since 2008. She has sent students to further studies in Russia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. One of her students, an eight year old, who has been tutored by Dr. Li for only 1.5 years, has performed a recital program of Chopin and Mozart in front of an 800-strong audience in Xiamen, China. Dr. Joanna Li's students have won prizes in all major competitions in Toronto. She is one of the adjudicators of Richmond Hill Music and Performing Arts Festival.