About

Performance Career

Long’s early stage mentors include Zhu Daming, the first Asian pianist to be the prizewinner in the Van Cliburn International Competition; Edward Auer, the first American prizewinner at the Chopin International Piano Competition; and Dr. Li Songwen, department chair of the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music. Under decades of dedicated practice and collaboration, Irene Long has built a reputation for collaborative excellence and versatile artistry across international stages. Long has served as a substitute pianist for New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami, FL, where she stepped into orchestral settings with professionalism and immediacy. She was also invited to the Chicago Summer Opera, and the National Music Festival where she partnered with musicians, soloists, and conductors from around the world to prepare repertoire, coach performances, and appear in concert and staged productions. At the New Ballet San Jose she serves as a pianist, participating annual major productions by working closely with choreographers, directors, and dancers. Her distinguished collaborations include the Grammy-nominated St. Petersburg String Quartet, and her early promise was recognized when she won First Prize at the Hong Kong International Piano Competition at age sixteen.

Beyond classical training, Long treats artistic leadership as storytelling—commissioning new works, collaborating across disciplines, using multimedia, and training the next generation to present performances as culturally resonant public experiences.