Keyin Lou

Full Biography.

Keyin Lou (b. 1994, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China) is a young contemporary composer currently based in New York City. She received her Master’s degree in Classical Composition from Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelor’s degree in Music Design and Production from Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Her compositional language emphasizes both lyricism and academic rigor. Rather than relying on conventional Chinese instruments or traditional melodic motives, she seeks innovative and distinctive ways to express Chinese cultural themes through contemporary musical language. Her works have been performed internationally in cities including New York City, Chicago, Vancouver, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou.

Lou began studying piano at the age of four under senior piano educator Xu Liangyu, and from age eight continued piano studies with Professor Zheng Shuxing. At eleven, she was admitted to the Composition Department of the Middle School affiliated with Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she studied composition with the distinguished composer and educator Professor Ding Ying.

In 2012, she was admitted simultaneously to both the Traditional Composition and Music Engineering programs at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, ultimately choosing Music Design and Production under the guidance of renowned composer and music producer Professor An Dong. During her undergraduate years, she received multiple People’s Scholarships. She later pursued graduate studies in Classical Composition at Manhattan School of Music, studying with composer Dr. Marjorie Merryman.

In July 2018, Lou collaborated with New York-based composer Julian Bennett Holmes to present a summer woodwind chamber concert at Oosten in Brooklyn, receiving strong critical response. They subsequently co-founded the concert series Music from East and West, presented regularly at St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University. The series has completed six seasons and continues to receive positive recognition.

In October of the same year, Lou and Chinese composer Xu Yuexiang, Chair of Composition and Theory at South China Normal University, presented the concert “Yue · Yin — Exploring the Sonic Frontier” at Weill Recital Hall. The event was covered by major Chinese media including Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily. Among the attendees were Li Liyan, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in New York, as well as diplomats from multiple permanent missions to the United Nations. The concert was designated as a specially supported project by the Aesthetic Development Foundation under China’s National Literary and Art Fund.

In addition to her extensive performance record, Lou’s compositions have received multiple international awards, including Silver Prize in the Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition and Second Prize in the 10th Amigdala International Music Competition in Italy. Her compositions have been published in the professional journal Music Creation, and her children’s songs have been published and distributed multiple times.

Lou also works extensively across disciplines, collaborating with visual artists, filmmakers, and new media creators to compose music for independent films and fashion campaigns. Her selected scoring projects include campaigns for Kohler (2024), Bang & Olufsen (2023 SS), Blancpain (2023 SS), Wang Junkai × Dior (2020 Spring Campaign), Maia Active (2021 FW), the animated short film The Abandoned Seed directed by Lü Yifei (winner at the Kyoto International Student Film Festival), and the fashion film If Still Young, which received five nominations including at the Los Angeles Fashion Film Festival and Seattle International Fashion Film Festival.Her creative collaborations also include projects with K11, ELLE MEN Fresh, Dunhill, JNBY, and PolyRide.

Since 2019, Lou has maintained an active teaching career in piano, music theory, and composition, working with students across a wide range of ages and levels in New York City and internationally through private instruction. Her teaching approach emphasizes individualized curriculum planning, combining technical discipline, musical understanding, and long-term artistic development according to each student’s goals and background.

In Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music preparation, particularly in piano performance and music theory, students under her instruction have achieved a 100% pass rate, with consistent Merit and Distinction results across multiple grades.

Her students have been admitted to leading music institutions and universities, including New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, New York University, Stony Brook University, and University of Cincinnati, among others.

In composition teaching, Lou is particularly recognized for helping students develop original musical language while building strong foundations in harmony, form, analysis, and portfolio preparation for auditions, examinations, and conservatory applications.