Po-Wei Lai
Soloist/Chamber Musician/ Conductor
About.
Po-Wei Lai, a talented violinist from Taiwan, began his musical journey at the age of six. He has studied under renowned teachers such as Kek-Tjiang Lim, Isaac Malkin, Keng Yuan Tseng, and Victor Danchenko. Lai's accomplishments include making his debut with the Gwung-Fu Orchestra at age 11 and performing at Lincoln Center in New York with the Double-Ten Orchestra at age 14. He has also won first prizes in prestigious competitions, including the Taiwan National Music Competition and the String Competition of Niagara International Chamber Music Festival.
In 1998, Lai moved to the United States and received a scholarship to attend the Precollege of Manhattan School of Music. He completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in violin performance at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, studying under Victor Danchenko. Throughout his career, Lai has excelled as a solo and chamber musician, performing in Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and the United States. He is a founding member of C'est Bon Chamber Music Academy, Treble Piano Trio, and Dominant 5 Piano Quintet.
Lai has been invited to perform at prestigious events hosted by organizations such as the Tzu Chi Foundation, Fortnightly Music Club, Chinese Music Teachers Association of Northern America, North America Taiwanese Women's Association, and Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California. Notably, he conducted the BAYMS youth orchestra at Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, receiving a standing ovation. In 2017, the orchestra was invited to perform in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, once again receiving a standing ovation. Lai has also had the honor of guest training the Google orchestra in the summer of 2019. He currently maintains teaching studios in San Jose, CA, and Taiwan and is frequently invited to perform in the National Concert Hall and other major cities in Taiwan.
