Yitong Ding

Full Biography.

Born in China, Yitong Ding has been studying piano since the age of 4 under professor Langqiu Chen for 9 years until he stopped taking lessons. In college he found his passion in music, then decided to restart in college. Yitong has studied piano performance in Pasadena City College with professor Manami Kawamura, and received his B.M. in piano performance at Bob Cole Conservatory under the guidance of Dr. Shun-Lin Chou. During his years in Pasadena City College, he was a consistent scholarship award winner, including Bertrand's Old Town Music Award for Piano Performance Scholarship Competition, Franklin Tzeng Piano Award for Excellence in Music Studies and more. He was a winner of the 2017 Pasadena City School Concerto Competition, and performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 with the school orchestra. Recently graduated from the Bob Cole Conservatory, Yitong has been a prize winner for every of the Beverly August Piano Competition during his time there. He was a winner of the 2023 Bob Cole Conservatory Concerto Competition, and performed Mendelssohn Concerto No.1 with the school orchestra. He has taken lessons or masterclasses from Stewart Gordon, Angela Chang, Robert Thies, Daniel Shapiro and many other teachers. Yitong is pursuing his master degree in Mannes School of Music studying with Professor Ann Schein.

Having a passion for teaching, Yitong has been both a music school teacher as well as a private piano teacher for over 10 years in Southern California. He has helped his students successfully passing CM and ABRSM level tests. Actively in New York, he offers piano, music theory and ear training lessons to all levels of students.

Yitong has been actively working as a collaborative pianist, specializing in string repertoire. Yitong has been a consistent studio accompanist for the violin professor Moni Simoenov during his time in Bob Cole Conservatory. Having a strong interest in chamber music, Yitong has performed chamber music concerts every year at Bob Cole Conservatory, and attended the Credo Summer Festival to further study chamber music.