Sunny Zhao

 Artistic & Academic Director, EverEverest | Pianist & Vocal Arts Coach | Former Faculty, Manhattan School of Music & Barnard College of Columbia University

Sunny Zhao is a celebrated pianist, collaborative artist, and interdisciplinary educator whose career bridges classical excellence with global educational leadership and social innovation. With over a decade of experience across top institutions in the United States and China, she has mentored hundreds of aspiring musicians—many of whom have gone on to attend Ivy League universities and world-renowned conservatories.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Sunny has served on the faculties of both the Manhattan School of Music and Barnard College at Columbia University. Her expertise spans solo piano performance, vocal coaching, and college admissions strategy, with a distinctive focus on integrating music with technology, research, and social impact.

Her international performance credits include Carnegie Hall, the Aspen Music Festival, Steinway Hall, Aranya Hall, and the Guangzhou Opera House. She has received top honors such as the Gold Medal at the Singapore International Piano Festival and the Best Collaborative Pianist Award at the Asia International Flute Festival. Sunny has also served as a juror for prestigious competitions including the Brahms International Music Competition (China Division), the Bösendorfer International Music Festival Piano Competition, and the American Piano Open.

At EverEverest, Sunny leads all cross-disciplinary programming as Artistic & Academic Director. She oversees a growing portfolio of initiatives that serve not only elite music students, but also foster youth and students from under-resourced communities. Her mission is to make high-level music education accessible, while equipping students with the tools to become creators, changemakers, and entrepreneurs.

Under her leadership, EverEverest expands beyond traditional music training to provide scholarship-backed education, mentorship, and startup incubation—especially for those who have historically been excluded from such opportunities. From helping foster youth design music-psychology research projects, to guiding low-income high schoolers in launching socially driven ventures, Sunny ensures that every note played can lead to meaningful transformation.

She believes that music is not only a form of excellence—but a vehicle for equity. Her work continues to redefine what it means to lead in the arts: one student, one stage, and one story at a time.