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Mayu Kanai, 17, began studying piano at the age of four. She has studied piano with Irina Morozova since the third grade and is currently an 11th grader at the Special Music School High School at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.
Mayu has performed at venues including Merkin Concert Hall, Stiefel Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, and Břevnov Monastery. She has won prizes in several competitions, including the Heddy Killian Competition, NYICMC, Night in Madrid (Spain), the Great Composers Series (Schumann and Liszt), the Symphony of Westchester’s Tenth Annual Young Artist Competition, the Chamber Music Society Young Musicians Concert, and the Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition. She has participated in festivals such as the Prague Piano Festival, the Mannes Piano Festival (with a half-tuition scholarship), and Chamber Fest. In addition, she took part in the Art of Collaboration Workshop at the North Shore Chamber Music Festival. She intends to participate in the Vivace International Music Festival and the Philadelphia International Music Festival in the summer of 2026.
Mayu has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists, including the Harlem Quartet, Svetozar Ivanov, Aaron Diehl, David Kalhous, Ekaterina Melkamini, Liza Stepanova, Emanuel Krasovsky, Ghadeer Abaido, and Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. She was also featured in an interview with Simone Dinnerstein on WQXR. Mayu has been active as a collaborative pianist, accompanying vocalists, chamber ensembles, and instrumentalists for competitions and performances, as well as for several Kaufman Music Center fundraisers and events.
Beyond music, Mayu has strong academic interests in science. She has completed a biochemistry course through Columbia University’s Pre-College Program, studied neuroscience at the Burke Neurological Institute, and taken an Artificial Intelligence course through the STEM Institute’s CollegeNow program. She was also selected for the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program, reflecting her intellectual curiosity.
F. Liszt, Transcendental Etude No. 11
L. Liebermann, Nocturne No. 3
