Recognized for her passionate, artistic, and dynamic performances, Mingyao Zhao has performed extensively as a soloist and recitalist in China, the United States, Canada, South Korea, and Poland. During the 2022-23 season she performed Lynn Purse’s Watershed as soloist with the Erie Philharmonic as well as Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra. She also makes chamber music appearances with “Stars in the Classics” and City Music Cleveland. In the fall of 2023 was a featured artist with The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus at Severance Music Center.

Ms. Zhao has performed with superstar violinist Vadim Gluzman at the North Shore Chamber Music Festival in Chicago as an Arkady Fomin Young Artist Award recipient and has been winner of numerous prizes including the bronze medal at the IX Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition, winner of the Cleveland Institute of Music concerto competition, recipient of the Aldo Parisot Award, the silver medal at the Texas Young Artist Music Competition, and first prize in the Haydn Competition at CelloFest in Fort Worth.

Ms. Zhao is a member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra and frequently performs as acting principal cello. She was formerly principal cello of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a substitute with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Akron Symphony among many other orchestras.

In addition to a busy performing career Ms. Zhao also teaches cello on the faculties of The College of Wooster and Oberlin Community Music School. Formerly, she has taught at The British School in Beijing, Texas Christian University, and at the Yale University School of Music.