Jason Sia, Pianist
Concert pianist Jason Sia is acclaimed for his eloquently expressive artistry, refined tonal palette, and commanding yet poetic virtuosity. With performances spanning the United States, Europe, Asia, and South and Central America, he has established himself as an artist of international recognition, captivating audiences with interpretations of profound emotional depth and elegance. Critics have praised his playing as “graceful, powerful, beautifully fluid, and emotionally charged” (Georgetown Gazette, Placerville Mountain Democrat), while the New York Piano Group highlights his “expressive, flowing playing with deep tone and continuity of line.” Pianist and pedagogue Eduard Laurel (New York University, The Juilliard School) commends his artistry for its “limpid touch and touching repose,” noting performances that resonate with sensitivity, passion, and sincerity.
Mr. Sia appears regularly as a recitalist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist in leading concert venues and distinguished series. His engagements include appearances at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Hall, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as prominent series such as Old First Concerts, Performances at the Presidio, and The Forte House Concert Series in San Francisco; The Klavier Haus in New York; the Crocker Art Museum Classical Concert Series, Music at Noon, and Performances at Pioneer in Sacramento; the Haggin Museum Concert Series in Stockton; Trinity Chamber Concerts in Berkeley; and the Piedmont Center for the Arts, among many others throughout the United States.
His repertoire reflects both breadth and depth, encompassing the great traditions of the piano literature—from the Baroque masters Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, and Soler; to the Classical clarity of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven; to the Romantic brilliance of Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff; and into the rich sound world of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, Bartók, Copland, Corigliano, Ives, Ligeti, Bolcom, and Gershwin.
A dedicated collaborator, Mr. Sia has performed with musicians from the Sacramento Philharmonic, Auburn Symphony, Folsom Lake Symphony, Camellia Symphony Orchestra, and CSUS Symphony, and has worked with distinguished opera artists from Sacramento Opera and Sacramento State University Opera Theater, including winners of the Metropolitan Opera Western Region. He serves as pianist for the Sacramento Valley Concert Choir, and in recognition of his longstanding artistic contributions, he was honored with a California Legislature Assembly Resolution in 2019. Equally committed to education, Mr. Sia is a respected pedagogue and adjudicator. His students have garnered national and international awards and have performed at Carnegie Hall and throughout Europe. He maintains active membership in leading professional organizations, including the Music Teachers’ Association of California, Music Teachers National Association, and the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program, among others.
Mr. Sia began piano studies at the age of six and received his formal training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Chautauqua Institution, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and the Aspen Music School and Festival. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance from California State University, Sacramento, where he studied with Dr. Gene Savage and Dr. Lorna Peters, graduating cum laude. His artistic development has been further shaped through master classes with eminent pianists including Louis Lortie, Gilbert Kalish, Minoru Nojima, Thomas Schumacher, Leon Fleisher, Gabriel Chodos, Cécile Licad, and Olivier Cazal.
On the international stage, he has appeared at the Colmar International Music Festival in France, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Korean National University of Arts, and the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music. A laureate of the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Piano Competition, he was awarded the Grand Prix and invited to perform in European halls.
During his academic career, Mr. Sia was inducted into prestigious honor societies including Phi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key International Honour Society, and Mu Phi Epsilon. He was awarded music scholarships throughout his studies, as well as the distinguished CSUS Faculty Merit Scholarship. His advocacy for contemporary music was recognized with three awards from the Festival of New American Music (FENAM).