Menghua Lin

Pre-College
  • Music Associate
Menghua Lin photo

Contact

Departments

Pre-College

Education

DMA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PSC, Manhattan School of Music

MM, Carnegie Mellon University

Ensembles

Shoreline Piano Trio

Blue Lake Festival Orchestra (2017-19)

Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic (2003-05)

Q&A

What is your hometown?

Taiwan

What is your favorite recording? Why?

My favorite recording is the complete Beethoven Piano Trios by the Beaux Arts Trio, particularly the Piano Trio No. 1 in E-flat major. This work beautifully captures Beethoven’s youthful energy and ambition, and I am especially drawn to the rich colors and majestic qualities of the key of E-flat major. The balanced, energetic, and expressive performances of the Beaux Arts Trio greatly inspire my own chamber music playing. Additionally, Menahem Pressler is one of my favorite pianists. I had the incredible opportunity to attend his live performance of Mozart’s Concerto K. 488, conducted by my piano professor, Ian Hobson. It was truly an unforgettable experience!

What are you passionate about outside of music?

I love painting, reading, and eating Asian food!

Who were your major teachers?

Hanna Li, Nina Svetlanova, Ian Hobson

What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?

"Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind" by Johannes Brahms

What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?

Should I memorize the piece?

What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?

When I performed my own composition in the winner's recital of the J.O.C competition.

What was a turning point in your career?

When I received the scholarship to pursue my master's degree in the States.

If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?

A painter or a doctor

What is your daily practice routine?

I start practicing after sending my kid to school and continue until I feel hungry.

If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?

Beethoven, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff

From a music history perspective, what year and city are most important to you, and why?

In 1828, in Leipzig, Clara Schumann gave her first public performance. She is a pioneering figure for female musicians today.

What is your unrealized project?

Playing Shostakovich's 24 preludes and fugues in one concert

What do you think makes a concert experience unique?

The communication between the performing artist(s) and the audience through music.

Please list your most important collaborations.

Bach D minor Keyboard Concerto with the Carnegie Mellon Baroque Ensemble, Mozart Piano Concerto K. 488 with the Perugia Fest Orchestra, and Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 2 with the Shoreline Piano Trio.

Please list your top awards and distinctions.

Winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Competition, Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania Competition, and Chautauqua Piano Concerto Competition.

Biography

Pianist Menghua Lin, originally from Taiwan, began studying piano at age four and launched her concert career after winning the J.O.C. Youth Composition Competition. She has garnered numerous awards from the Pittsburgh Concert Society, Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania, and Yamaha Piano Competitions. Menghua’s performances span Asia, Europe, and the United States, with featured appearances at the Suolahti Music Festival in Finland, Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy, and Music Fest Perugia in Italy.

Her solo highlights include performances of J.S. Bach Keyboard Concerto in D minor with Carnegie Mellon’s Baroque Ensemble, Mozart Piano Concerto in A major, K. 488, with the Perugia Fest Orchestra, and all three Piano Sonatas by Lowell Liebermann.  A dedicated chamber musician, she has collaborated on works such as Poulenc Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet and served as orchestra pianist with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Chautauqua Festival Orchestra. In 2019, she co-founded the Shoreline Piano Trio with violinist Sue-mi Shin and cellist Katie Youn, with whom she engages Bay Area audiences in performances highlighting their shared passion for chamber music.

Menghua earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her Master of Music from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Performance Diploma from the Manhattan School of Music. Her principal teachers include Pan-An Chen, Hanna Li, Ian Hobson, and Nina Svetlanova, and she has participated in masterclasses with Enrique Graf, Rebecca Penneys, Victor Rosenbaum, Jerome Rose, and Earl Wild.