Yinjia Lin-DeMercurio, Program Director

Chinese-American pianist and educator Dr. YinJia Lin-DeMercurio has drawn international attention since her concerto debut at the age of 15 with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, conducted by Maestra WingSi Yip. Recognized by critics, colleagues and the public as “a pianist with the highest sensitivity, imagination and precision, combining brilliant musicality,” Dr. Lin has performed solo recitals, concerti and chamber music at venues and series such as the Alice Tully Hall, WMP Concert Hall, Ana Tzarev Gallery, New York University, Steinway Hall in NYC and Coral Gables, Gusman Hall in Coral Gables, Festival Miami, Miami Civic Association, as well as Hong Kong City Hall and the Golden Horse Concert Hall in China. Dr. Lin has been awarded many scholarships, awards and prizes in both China and the U.S., including the Second Prize of the Buono & Bradshaw International Piano Competition in 2008, the First Prize of the New York University Piano Concerto Competition in 2005 and the First Prize of the Mozart International Piano/Violin Concerto Competition in Hong Kong in 1998. Born in Foshan, China, YinJia began playing the piano at the age of six. She completed her undergraduate studies with Martin Canin at the Juilliard School as a full-scholarship student in 2005. Dr. Lin has appeared in many music festivals, including the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival and the Nice Academy in France. From 2005-2007, Dr. Lin taught undergraduate music courses at NYU’s Steinhardt School, where she obtained her Master of Arts. Upon graduating, she worked professionally as Lead Performer and Music Consultant for the Ana Tzarev Gallery in New York City, as well as Concert Hall Manager at the WMP Concert Hall.

Dr. Lin completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, under the tutelage of the legendary Cuban-American pianist Santiago Rodriguez with full-scholarship and Graduate Teaching Assistant Fellowship. An experienced and versatile musician, Dr. Lin plays the harpsichord and the organ in addition to orchestral and choral conducting. Dr. Lin’s doctoral dissertation, Alberto Ginastera’s Piano Sonatas: A performance Guide, is published by one of the leading academic publishing houses “Scholars’ Press” in Germany in 2013. Dr. Lin had been on faculty at the Avenues School, Manhattan School of Music Pre-College and Summer Camp from 2014 to 2020. Currently Dr. Lin is the sole owner and operator of Pinnacle Music Studio, a conservatory level Steinway Partner Studio in Tenafly, NJ. Her formers students had been accepted to top tier universities such as Stanford University, Princeton University, USC, Cornell University, University of Chicago, Williams College, and Manhattan School of Music.