Ethan Min Liao is a jazz pianist and composer from San Francisco, California, and a freshman at University High School. He studies composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continues his training in classical piano, jazz piano, and violin. Ethan has written works for solo piano, chamber ensembles, big band, and chorus.
In 2025, Ethan was named the sole winner of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 13th Annual Essentially Ellington Composition and Arranging Contest. He is also a three-time winner of DownBeat Magazine’s 47th Annual Student Music Awards, where he was featured in a special profile. His original composition He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven was recognized as a National Winner by the Laureate Gala Competition.
Ethan has participated in leading summer programs including Tanglewood, Interlochen, and Stanford Jazz. Outside of music, he enjoys reading history, playing tennis, and crafting clever puns and wordplay.