Born in Tianjin, Cici Lan is a pianist turned educator who is passionate about supporting musicians. Currently teaching English in the Graduate School Division at The Tianjin Juilliard School, Lan brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her work. She focuses on English in musical and academic contexts and continues to support students in developing the language and communication skills necessary for both academic and artistic success. Lan first joined the Tianjin Juilliard School in 2020, serving in the Public and Continuing Education Division, where she contributed to several educational programs. She led the Teacher Training Program in its inaugural years and played an essential role in launching the school’s music program for early years. Drawing on her experience teaching English to adult learners at a global language education institution, she began teaching English for Musical Purposes in the Pre-College Division in 2021.

Lan originally studied with Prof. Naifan Shen, piano professor at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music. She later graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education and Music from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Performance Science from the Royal College of Music in London, where she discovered her interest in supporting musicians. Her master’s dissertation focused on the development of pianists’ deliberate practice. In 2016, she participated in the International Summer Program at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and studied piano.