Valerie Lai, 17, started playing the cello at age nine and recently graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She studies with Ms. Danielle Cho, Assistant Principal Cellist of the Washington National Opera Orchestra.

Valerie is a 2024 National Young Arts Winner in Classical Music and the 2023-2024 Virginia State Winner of the Music Teachers National Association Senior String Performance Competition. She won first place in the 2023 Richmond Symphony League Concerto Competition and made her solo debut with the Richmond Symphony at age 14.

Valerie served as the Principal Cellist of her high school orchestra. She was Assistant Principal Cellist in the Northern Virginia Senior Regional Orchestra for the past three years and was a member of the Virginia All-State Orchestra. She was previously Principal Cellist of the American Youth Philharmonic. An avid chamber musician, Valerie’s piano trio won first place in the 2024 Asian American Music Society Ensemble Competition, and her quartet won third place in the 2024 Chamber Music Foundation of New England International Ensemble Competition.

Outside of music, Valerie loves baking, trivia, action movies, volunteering with Sound Impact, and singing duets with her younger sister.