When Jazz Pianist meets an Artist

“From a long family line of profound artists, Sophia Gao’s innate talent, rigorous training, and personal story places her in a special category of the gifted who come by artistic integrity through a natural course. However, what moves me about her work is not where she comes from but what she sees beyond content and style. I feel Sophia’s creativity is not engaged to self-validate, or revolutionize, but to communicate a personal message to her audience without pretension, or compromise to her art form. To me, her work has a fresh air to it and won’t finger-point to contemporary forms of social criticism; instead, I feel she warmly uplifts and delights in optimism, joy, and the real eternal… suggesting to me that she creates because she respects life, tradition, and loves the person who experiences her art.”

David Braid, 22 December 2014

Jazz Pianist of the Year-Canada

SOCAN Composer of the Year

Six Juno nominations

Two Juno awards

Canada Council for the Arts' "JazzID Award".