Piano

Most of Charlotte's piano training in China centered on solo repertoire, with uneven access to strong instruction. She found her own way into ensemble playing by accompanying her school choir. At a citywide competition with Xiamen No. 1 Middle School, she was the youngest accompanist. Later, at a Tennessee high school with limited music resources, she became the pianist called on for musical theatre and band. Collaborative playing was never presented to her as a specialization; she kept choosing it anyway.

At Amherst College, study with Hiromi Fukuda strengthened her technique and changed the way she practices and listens. At the University of Michigan, Ana María Otamendi has helped her turn a longstanding instinct into a more disciplined collaborative craft: preparing independently, understanding the full score, rehearsing efficiently, and responding to a partner in real time.

Her recent projects show the range of that work. At Amherst, she performed Schumann and Glazunov with hornist Cecelia Amory, then returned to Schumann's Adagio und Allegro with hornist John Joire in an Emanuel Ax masterclass. At Michigan, she partnered with violinist Anika Patel in a joint project of the Fabiola Kim and Otamendi studios, and with saxophonist Abner Brijesh for CONCERT4aCAUSE #38, presented by the Timothy McAllister and Otamendi studios. In May 2026, she learned and rehearsed the third movement of Hindemith's Viola Sonata with Benjamin Hanselman in roughly two weeks for a student recital at Amherst.

Charlotte approaches this repertoire as chamber music: both musicians are responsible for pulse, color, phrasing, and structure. Her experience as a singer, conductor, composer, and ensemble player helps her hear both the individual line and the larger musical argument. She now works regularly with a number of vocalists and instrumentalists, building long-term partnerships across lessons, rehearsals, recitals, and recordings.