2025 Live Adjudicators

Kelsey Cai

Chinese Instruments

Kelsey Cai

Born in China, I began studying the Chinese Dulcimer (Yangqin) at the age of six under the tutelage of Professor Yongkang Gan at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. I am a member of both the Hubei Musicians Association and the China Nationalities Orchestra Society, and have served as an examiner for the Yangqin grade examinations organized by the Hubei Musicians Association.

As a performer, I have been frequently invited as a soloist across Europe, North America, and Asia, and have given masterclasses in China. I also had the honor of representing the Wuhan University–Université Paris Diderot cultural exchange program as the featured Yangqin soloist in Paris, France.

In addition to performing, I have taken on leadership roles in several prominent Chinese orchestras. I served as president of the Wuhan University Chinese Orchestra (2005), a large ensemble of over 40 musicians; the Waterloo Chinese Orchestra (2014) and the Grand River Chinese Orchestra (2019), both mid-sized community ensembles; and most recently, the Qi Ensemble (2023), a chamber group focused on innovative and cross-cultural repertoire.