Xuanyan Jessie Gong

Xuanyan “Jessie” Gong, from Shanghai, is a second-year student at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studies with Robert McDonald as the Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Piano Fellow.

Jessie’s musical journey began in an instrument shop on the streets of Shanghai, where, as a young child, she was mesmerized by a grand piano that she described as a “huge toy.” That moment sparked a lifelong passion that has continued to shape her life since.

She is the first prize winner of the Yamaha Senior Division of the 11th Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition (2025), the Kaufman Music Center International Piano Competition, and the Metropolitan International Piano Competition. Jessie has also been featured on NPR’s From the Top and participated in the Valissima Institute, a prestigious program for exceptional young female instrumentalists interested in conducting.

Before Curtis, Jessie graduated from Juilliard Pre-College in 2025, where she studied with Ernest Barretta.

Her love for collaboration shines as one of the founding members of the Happy Feat Trio, which has won several international chamber music competitions.

Jessie believes deeply in the power of music to uplift and unite. As she beautifully expresses:

“I believe music is a universal language of peace; it has the power to heal, connect hearts through shared emotions, and shape the world into something far more compassionate and beautiful than it might otherwise be.”