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Lina Cao is a guzheng virtuoso dedicated to innovating Chinese traditional guzheng music and promoting its fusion with Western music. She began learning the guzheng at the age of 5, and at just 6, she was invited to perform at the Nanjing Normal University Conservatory of Music, showcasing her exceptional musical talent and dedication. With her parents’ strong support, Lina received professional training in guzheng performance, ear training, and music theory from a young age. She was admitted to the Nanjing University of the Arts Middle School for her guzheng studies in sixth grade. In 2008, she was recognized as an “Outstanding Talent” and granted early admission to the Nanjing University of the Arts’ undergraduate program without needing to take the entrance exams. Later, Lina pursued her studies at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she obtained her master’s degree in guzheng performance in 2016. Throughout her career, she has studied under renowned guzheng masters such as Professors Yan Aihua, Ren Jie, Li Meng, and Wang Wei.

Performance Career
Lina has held numerous solo and chamber guzheng concerts in China, receiving wide acclaim. She has participated in cultural exchanges across Asia, North America, and Europe and was honored with the “International Award for World Peace” at the China-Japan Friendship Concert. As the lead performer of the “MoYu Guzheng Ensemble,” she was part of the first guzheng chamber ensemble in China to win both the prestigious “Golden Bell Award” and the Ministry of Culture’s “Wenhua Award.” In 2020, the ensemble released its first album under Universal Music.

Since moving to Toronto in 2017, Lina has continued her career as a guzheng soloist. She has collaborated with esteemed groups such as the China National Radio and Film Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, the Toronto Chinese Orchestra, New Music Concerts, the Canada-China Western Symphony Orchestra, Aga Khan Museum, Vancouver’s Dragon Cultural Ensemble, FhoneNX Ensemble, and the Canadian Arabic Orchestra. She premiered numerous musical works and was part of Alice Ho’s children’s opera “The Monkiest King,” which was nominated for the 40th Dora Award for Outstanding Chamber Ensemble Performance. The opera’s CD was released by the Canadian Children’s Opera Company and the Canadian Music Centre in 2020.

Education and Outreach
As an educator, Lina became the first guzheng lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Music. She has been invited to give lectures on Chinese folk music at the University of Toronto, York University, Upper Canada College, Toronto French School, and Toronto’s public libraries. Lina is passionate about spreading Chinese music culture and has established herself as an influential figure on the global music stage.