31. Mai-Lien Olsson

Mai-Lien Olsson is an Australian born pianist currently undertaking her third year in a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Starting at the age of 7, she has been taught by Joyce Bennett and is currently under the tutelage of Natasha Vlassenko. She achieved her LMusA with Distinction at age 16 and has been the first prize winner of the Ruby C Cooling Piano Competition, and the Minnie May Bursary award. Additionally, she is currently holder of the Dorothy Ford Memorial Scholarship and the accompanist of the Vivo Strings and Symphony Strings ensemble at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School. Mai-Lien has also performed at the Queensland Children’s Hospital as volunteer work and has connected with her Vietnamese heritage, performing songs with singers in local community events. When she is not performing classical music, her interest has also led her to perform piano parts in musicals such as The Addams Family and Legally Blonde, which was premiered at the Ipswich Civic Centre in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Her recording of Rachmaninov’s Moment Musicaux op. 16 no. 4 on YouTube has reached 13,000 views and almost 200 likes. Finally, one of Mai-Lien’s goals is to travel to America to pursue a Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York once COVID-19 restrictions have eased.