Wanying Cao (Monstar) is a composer, concert pianist, and singer-songwriter from Xi'an, China. In 2014, she moved to California and commenced her music studies under Dr. Jeanette Louise Yaryan as a piano major at Idyllwild Arts Academy. In 2018, she embarked on her Bachelor of Music degree at Frost School of Music, University of Miami, majoring in Media Scoring and Production with minors in Composition and Piano Performance. She's currently pursuing a Master's in Composition at the New England Conservatory.
Monstar's compositions span diverse genres. As a composer, her original instrumental and multimedia pieces have been showcased in numerous global concerts, including the Tuesday Night New Music at New England Conservatory and the SCI concerts at Frost School of Music, guided by Composition Professors such as Prof. John Mallia, director of the Robert Ceely Electronic Music Studio, and Prof. Michael Gandolfi, chair of the composition department at the New England Conservatory. Last summer, her chamber compositions were performed in Valencia, Spain, and Pavia, Italy. Under Grammy-winning composer Dr. Carlos Rivera, she contributed to film scoring projects. Her recent collaboration, 'Behind the Water,' premiered at Zhejiang Experimental Art Theater on Nov.17th, 2023.
As a versatile performer, Monstar has graced various stages with piano solos, including renowned events like the Encore Chamber Music Festival and The World Choir Game. As a singer-songwriter, her debut track 'Simple Friend' launched in 2021, and she's showcased her original compositions at events like the Blue Love Concert and CAM Fest. Her new album will be released soon.