Biography

Zehao “Nicholas” Bai is a Chinese pianist, educator, and collaborator whose career encompasses solo performance, chamber music, teaching, and artistic leadership. A prizewinner of the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition and the Seattle International Piano Competition, Bai has performed extensively throughout North America and Asia. His recent engagements include a nine-city concert and masterclass tour of China in collaboration with ACOrange, as well as performances and educational residencies at universities, festivals, and professional music organizations throughout the United States.

An active chamber musician and advocate for new music, Bai is the co-founder of the piano duo Coco&Nick with pianist Ke’er Wang. The duo has appeared at the Southeastern Piano Festival, Lander University, the Texas State International Piano Festival, and with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra. Their collaborative work includes premieres of David Temperley’s Suite for Two Pianos and Daniel Perttu’s Triptych of Fugues, with performances presented at College Music Society conferences and the Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Celebration.

Bai is Assistant Professor of Piano Performance at the Townsend School of Music at Mercer University, where he maintains an active studio and contributes to the artistic and educational development of the piano program. Previously, he served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano Performance at the University of Toledo, where he founded the Dorothy MacKenzie Price Piano Competition and directed the Dorothy MacKenzie Price Piano Series. He is also co-director of Keyboard Explorations at Summer@Eastman. As an educator and mentor, Bai has served as a juror for the MTNA Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, and the Miaomiao Rising Star Piano Competition. His students have received prizes in international competitions, and he has been recognized with the Distinguished Guidance Award and named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Shanghai International Piano Competition.

Committed to expanding access to high-level musical training, Bai is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Miaomiao Piano Festival in Wuhai, China. He and Wang also co-direct Keyboard Explorations at Summer@Eastman and maintain active involvement with the Vivace International Music Festival. Through these activities, Bai combines performance, pedagogy, mentorship, and artistic programming with a particular interest in developing opportunities for young pianists and fostering international musical exchange.

Bai holds degrees from the University of South Carolina and the Eastman School of Music, where he earned his doctoral degree in piano performance and received the Henry Cobos Endowed Piano Prize, awarded to a pianist demonstrating exceptional achievement in piano performance. His principal teachers and mentors include Marina Lomazov, Joseph Rackers, and Washington Garcia.