Zehao Bai

Zehao “Nicholas” Bai, Chinese pianist, collaborator, and educator, has established himself as one of the prominent rising artists and organizers on today’s classical music scene. A prizewinner of the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition and the Seattle International Piano Competition, Bai has performed extensively across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

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Following major prizes at the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition and the Seattle International Piano Competition, Bai has appeared in performances throughout North America. Most recently, he completed a nine-city concert tour across China in collaboration with ACOrange, the country’s largest private performance enterprise. 

An avid chamber musician, Bai formed the piano duo Coco&Nick with his partner, pianist Ke’er Wang. Together they have performed throughout the United States, appearing at the Southeastern Piano Festival, Lander University, the Texas State International Piano Festival, and with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to new music, the duo has premiered works by composers such as David Temperley (Suite for Two Pianos) and Daniel Perttu (Triptych of Fugues), with appearances at College Music Society conferences and Eastman’s Centennial Celebration.

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In addition to his performing career, Bai serves as Assistant Professor of Piano Performance at the Townsend School of Music at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He previously served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano Performance at University of Toledo where he was the founder of the Dorothy MacKenzie Price Piano Competition and directs the Dorothy Mackenzie Price Piano Series. Additionally, He is the co-director of Keyboard Explorations at Summer@Eastman. Bai has served as a jury member for the MTNA Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, and the Miaomiao Rising Star Piano Competition, among others. His students have garnered top prizes internationally, and he was honored with the Distinguished Guidance Award and named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the 17th Shanghai International Piano Competition.

Committed to community engagement and musical education, Bai and Wang co-founded the Miaomiao Piano Festival in Wuhai, China, where they continue to serve as Artistic Directors. They also co-direct Keyboard Explorations at Summer@Eastman and are active members of the Vivace International Music Festival. 

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Dr. Bai holds degrees from University of South Carolina and the Eastman School of Music, the latter bestowing upon him the highly coveted Henry Cobos Endowed Piano Prize – an honor the institution reserves for pianists who demonstrated exceptional achievement in the performance of piano. His principal teachers include Marina Lomazov, Joseph Rackers, and Washington Garcia.