Biography

Katherine (Kit Ying) Cheng is a New York-based violinist who has appeared on stage at the  Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, Woolsey Hall, and Kodak Hall, and has performed as a soloist with the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, the 92Y School of Music Orchestra, the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, and the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra. She received a full scholarship for the Taipei Music Academy Festival in 2022, and was a fellow for the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2019, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in 2023, and Mostly Modern Festival in 2024. This summer, she will be a fellow for the upcoming 2025 Bowdoin International Music Festival.

Katherine began her violin studies under her father’s tutelage at age three. Before immigrating to the U.S. in 2010 from Hong Kong, she earned an associate and licentiate diploma from Trinity College London, as well as certificates from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Katherine attended the Juilliard Pre-College Division in 2012, where she studied with Elizabeth Chang. She was also a recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship, Gluck Community Service Fellowship, and Morse Teaching Artist Fellowship at the Juilliard School, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree studying with Frank Huang. Later, she pursued her Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music, studying with Tai Murray. With a strong passion and dedication for teaching, she was recognized with the Malcolm L. Mitchell and Donald M. Roberts Class of 1957 Prize from Yale, awarded to “an outstanding graduating teaching artist in the Music in School Initiative.” Katherine is currently working on her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Robin Scott, with a full scholarship at Eastman School of Music. She is also an Artist in Residence at Valley Manor, and has recently joined the RIT community as an adjunct professor. 

Friendly Tip: All paintings exclusively belong to Lily Cheng. For more information about the artworks, please visit Lily Cheng Art Studio.