A percussionist and interdisciplinary artist from Vancouver, BC, Raina Liao finds joy through seeking depth, exploration, and human connection within her musical endeavors. Having studied piano from the age of 6, she holds an Associate Diploma of the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) in piano performance. She began her percussion studies with Vancouver Symphony principal timpanist Aaron McDonald and Grant Park Music Festival principal percussionist Josh Jones. She completed her BM at the University of North Texas, studying with Mark Ford, Dave Hall, and Paul Rennick. Currently, she is a graduate student at the New England Conservatory, studying with Matthew McKay and Daniel Bauch. Additionally, Raina has participated in private lessons/masterclasses with Nancy Zeltsman, Pius Cheung, Frédéric Macarez, Brian Jones, Tom Burritt, Doug Perkins, Vern Griffiths, and Zach Masri. Raina was a percussion fellow for the 2024 Round Top festival Institute. At UNT, she performed and toured internationally with the classical percussion ensemble, and also performed with several world percussion ensembles which include steel band, Brazilian, Gamelan, Afro-Cuban, South Indian, and African ensembles. Raina competed in the 2023 PAS Texas Chapter Solo Competition, where she won 2nd place overall. She placed 2nd in PASIC’s 2024 timpani solo competition. In 2025, she was a finalist in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s audition for Principal Percussion. Raina has a special passion for incorporating her sound-color synesthesia within collaborative intermedia projects.