Joanna Tang is a 22 year-old first year medical student at the University of Toronto. She has a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Diploma in Music Performance from McMaster University. Joanna began playing the violin at the age of three and she is currently studying with Mr. David Zafer. She has won numerous awards and scholarships at various music festivals since the age of five.
Some of her most recent achievements include first prize in the Canadian Music Competition National Finals in 2002, and the Florence Hood Bryson Trophy for Senior Strings and the Shar Award from the Greater Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival in 2003.

At age 10, Joanna won the silver medals in both her Grade 9 and Grade 10 RCM violin examinations. At age 12, she completed her Performer’s ARCT Diploma with first-class honours with distinction and was awarded the Gold Medal. At age 16, she also completed her Teacher’s ARCT Diploma with first-class honours.

Joanna was a member of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO) from 1997 to 2002, acting as Concertmaster for a year and a half. For the 2002, 2003, 2005 summers, and 2004 Spring Tour, she has also been a member of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival’s Orchestral Academy in Germany, and will be returning this summer. She is currently Associate Concertmaster of the Hart House Orchestra.

In 2001, she was the winner of the TSYO Concerto Competition and was awarded the honour and privilege to perform as a solo violinist with both the TSYO at George Weston Recital Hall in December 2001 and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall the following March. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and Symphony Hamilton in 2004. This March, she played Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D with the York Symphony Orchestra.