Hannah Tsai is a 13-year-old violist, violinist, and harpist from Sydney, Australia. Born in 2012, she began harp at the age of five before expanding to violin and viola, and she has studied all three instruments for several years. Since 2021, she has been part of the elite Rising Stars Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she studies harp and viola. Her teachers include Philippa Paige for violin, Stuart Johnson and Janet Davies for viola, and Louise Johnson for harp.

Hannah has been recognized in numerous national and international competitions. She earned the overall Grand Prize for ages 13–15 in the 2024–2025 London Young Musician of the Year competition, where she was also named Harpist of the Year and Violist of the Year. She previously placed second overall in the 2022–2023 season. Her achievements also include winning the state final of the Australian Schools Instrumental Championship, multiple first prizes in the Golden Classical Music Competition and Grand Prize Virtuoso competitions, and a laureate award in the Nouvelles Etoiles Competition. Additionally, she has been awarded top prizes in the Lanna International Music Competition, Vivaldi International Music Competition, Global Genius Music Competition, the Franz Schubert International Music Competition, and many others.

Hannah has performed in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls. Highlights include the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in 2025, the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2024, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and Beethoven-Haus in Bonn in 2023, and multiple performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City on harp and viola. In Paris, she performed Alessandro Rolla’s Rondo for Viola and Orchestra as a soloist after winning the Nouvelles Etoiles competition.

An experienced chamber and orchestral musician, Hannah has garnered extensive ensemble experience throughout 2025. She is a member of The Piccolos, whose Schumann Piano Quartet performance won first place in the Sydney Eisteddfod’s under-18 chamber division. She also participated in Musica Viva’s Strike a Chord workshops and received the Junior Prize in the national championship section, attended the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, and was accepted into the Australian Youth Orchestra Young Symphonists program. In addition to these recent experiences, she performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Symphony in 2023.

Hannah’s musical inspiration comes from her parents, who are both musicians. Growing up hearing lessons, rehearsals, and concerts motivated her to begin performing and pursue music seriously. She believes music has the power to help others and loves performing not only in prestigious concert halls but also in hospitals, nursing homes, and community spaces. She regularly performs for residents in aged-care facilities, children at the Starlight Children’s Hospital Foundation, and patients at the Lifehouse Cancer Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.

Hannah is a music scholar at Ravenswood School for Girls, holding a full scholarship for Years 7–12. She was previously the Goodlet Legacy Music Scholar at PLC Sydney, a scholarship covering Years 4–12. She has also been offered scholarships to Pymble Ladies’ College and admission to the Conservatorium High School. She earned her Associate of Music (AMus) qualification with distinction in 2025 and will officially graduate with the award in 2026. She previously received A+ distinction for Viola Grades 5–8, Violin Grades 1–4, and Harp Grades 3–5.

Outside of music, Hannah is an accomplished skier and badminton player. She has competed in alpine, skier-cross, moguls, and cross-country skiing events at state and national levels and represents her school in badminton.