Lynn Kao is regarded as one of the most inspiring Asian American female conductors and pianists of her time. Like Leonard Bernstein, her career started after a sensational performance of the opera Candide, where she jumped on terse notice to conduct the Hessische Staatsorchester Wiesbaden in Germany. Ms. Kao electrified her audience — not only as a conductor, but also as a pianist. After her performance of the Mozart Piano Concerto Nr. 23, where she was the conductor and the soloist, the FAZ (a major newspaper in Frankfurt, Germany) called her "the 'magician' of the evening."

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At age 10, Ms. Kao was the assistant conductor of the Taiwan Youth String Orchestra in Guang-Ming Academy. Her piano debut of the Chopin f minor Piano Concerto with the Taiwan Youth String Orchestra set her international piano career. In 1995, the Cleveland Institute invited Lynn to record the Tibor Serly Piano Concerto "3x3 " with the Czech Symphony Orchestra. The recording is now part of the famous "Fleisher Collection Series." In the USA, Lynn has collaborated as both conductor and soloist with orchestras such as the Young Artist Philharmonic in Stamford, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Houston Sinfonietta, and Indiana Symphony Orchestra. In Europe, she has led operas in opera houses such as the Wiesbaden State Opera, Hof State Opera, Darmstadt State Opera, Erfurt Opera, and Meininger State Opera. 

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Lynn inspired many young musicians at the Silvermine School of Music (2003-2005) as a pedagogue. She was the AI assistant instructor at Indiana University (2005-2007). In Germany, Kao was an associate professor at the Essen Folkwang University and guest instructor at the Cologne School of Music while being the pianist and conductor at the Wiesbaden State Opera house (2007-2014). In 2015, Lynn followed the footsteps of Leonard Bernsteinʼs "Young Artist Series" with the New York Philharmonic. Her creation of the Young People's Concert Series "Operntrailor" combines opera overtures, movie theme songs, slide shows, and cartoon video clips. She moderated, conducted, sang, and played the piano, which very much inspired audiences and brought many young people into the opera house wanting more. Kaoʼs Young Peopleʼs Series, inspired by Leonard Bernstein, will be presented near NYC in the upcoming seasons. 

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Lynn was discovered by the Kosciuszko Competition in NYC (2005) and has received several national and international prizes. She was a semifinalist in the Sir George Solti International Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition in Belgium (2007). After winning the Val Tidone International Chamber Music Competition with her piano trio Enos, Ms. Kao toured Europe with the Enos Trio giving masterclasses as well as concerts. The Enos Trio created two crucial young people's concert series in Baunatal and Wuppertal, Germany. The youths received private lessons and performed with members of the Enos Trio in various concerts. 

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Lynn has had the pleasure to collaborate with great musicians such as Janos Starker, Josef Gingold, Maria Kliegel, and Daniel Barenboim. Her video recording of the "Cello Masterclass" with the famous cellist Maria Kliegel for the Schott Musik Verlag inspired many great cellists. Ms. Kao's mentors include Peter Serkin, Karen Shaw, Evelyne Brancart, George Sebök, Menahem Pressler, and Pavel Gililov. Lynn graduated from Indiana University with honors and finished her Master's and doctorate degrees at the Cologne School of Music. 

 

Since 2018, Lynn has been the Gyumri State Symphony Orchestra guest conductor and an honorary professor at the Gyumri State Conservatory. Her upcoming concerts include TX Sinfonietta (USA), North Bavarian Symphony, a solo recital in Hamburg, a duo recital in Cologne, Germany with the young cellist Manuel Lipstein (Germany), and a tour in Taiwan of "around the world in 90 min. with Lynn Kao.” In the summer of 2020, Lynn was at the Hellenikon Idyllion festival in Greece and Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival in Germany.

 

Lynn has been a professor and conductor at the Hartt School of Hartford University since 2021. Her 2022 season includes tours around the United States, Europe, and Asia. Lynn is planning a community outreach throughout the United States while she brings her "Virtual Music with Lynn" to life through personal performances.