Irene Huang, piano
Growing up in Toronto, Irene Huang began her piano studies at age three and earned her ARCT Performance Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music with First Class Honours with Distinction in 2018. She also studied violin from the age of four, receiving the Royal Conservatory of Music Gold Medal for the highest ARCT violin mark in Ontario in 2022.
Irene has extensive experience collaborating with instrumentalists and vocalists in a wide range of settings, including recitals, competitions, festivals, and examinations. She has served as pianist of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, collaborative pianist for the North Toronto Songbirds, and composer-in-residence for the Chinese Artists Society of Toronto Youth Orchestra, working closely with young artists in both solo and chamber contexts.
As a pianist, Irene has performed in major venues including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Jordan Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Koerner Hall, and Kilbourn Hall, and has participated in festivals including Morningside Music Bridge, Connecticut Summerfest, and the Wintergreen Music Festival.
Alongside her collaborative work, Irene is a passionate composer. Her piece "Face the Music" won first prize in the United Nations’ Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge and was featured at its inaugural International Day for Disarmament event in 2023. Her orchestral work "The Light of Yule" received the Promising High-School Composer Prize from the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra, and her composition "Deaf Pillows" was selected for premiere at Carnegie Hall by the Musical Life Foundation. In 2024, Irene's string orchestra work "Still Small Voice" premiered at Jordan Hall. Most recently, her song "BE HAPPY!" won first prize at Sparks & Wiry Cries’ songSLAM.
Of all things music, Irene is particularly passionate about championing works by emerging composers and enjoys engaging directly with them to explore interpretive possibilities. She is currently pursuing her studies at the Eastman School of Music.
