Vancouver Teen Catherine Huo Achieves Global Acclaim for Classical Guitar Mastery
Fourteen-year-old Catherine Huo from Vancouver has captured global attention with her extraordinary classical guitar skills, earning prestigious awards and scholarships while maintaining a remarkable balance of music, dance, and high school studies. This talented teenager represents the next generation of classical musicians making waves on international stages.
Rising Star in Classical Music
The Vancouver Classical Guitar Society recently featured Huo in its annual Rising Stars: A Celebration concert alongside three other teenage musicians who have accumulated impressive provincial, national, and international awards. As a longtime participant in VCGS Student Open Stages, Huo has benefited from mentorship by society members throughout her developing career.
Under the guidance of teacher Alan Liu, Huo experienced a particularly remarkable year in 2025. Her achievements included winning the Denver International Guitar Festival and securing a substantial $30,000 scholarship to Colorado's prestigious Lamont School of Music. She further distinguished herself by earning second prize at the Guitar Foundation of America Junior Division, widely regarded as the world's most significant classical guitar competition.
Record-Breaking Achievements
Huo's accomplishments extend beyond these notable victories. She made history as the youngest-ever adult division champion at Calgary's GuitarFest West and became the youngest winner to claim first prize at the 2025 Northwest Guitar Festival Adult Competition. These achievements build upon her earlier successes, including junior division first prize at the 2023 Chicago Guitar Festival and youth division first prize at the 2022 Northwest Guitar Festival, where she became the youngest-ever winner at just nine years old.
To date, Huo has participated in over one hundred competitive events, demonstrating both her dedication and exceptional talent. In recent performance videos produced by Guitar Salon International, she showcased absolute mastery of the instrument while performing Roland Dyens' challenging composition Clown Down. Her performance displayed multiple advanced playing techniques executed with passionate intensity and remarkable composure.
Musical Beginnings and Inspiration
"I first started playing at age three or four, but only began professional training around age ten," Huo explained. "What drew me to classical guitar was that my father played guitar and I wanted to be like him. I also appreciate how classical guitar allows me to express myself emotionally, particularly through baroque period music. I can completely lose myself in composers like Bach and Scarlatti."
Growing up with a stage-acting musical father and a dance teacher mother, Huo was immersed in the arts from her earliest days. She cannot recall a time when she didn't want to pursue music and movement as her primary passions.
Balancing Multiple Artistic Pursuits
Beyond her guitar accomplishments, Huo maintains a rigorous schedule of dance training in ballet, contemporary, and Chinese folk dance. Remarkably, she recently found time outside her musical commitments to place among the top fourteen competitors in her first international dance competition in the United States last November.
Huo views competitions as inspirational motivators that help measure her progress in practice. Her ability to excel simultaneously in music, dance, and academics while speaking four languages demonstrates exceptional discipline and time management skills for someone her age.
This Vancouver teenager represents a new generation of multifaceted artists who are redefining what young musicians can achieve on global stages. Her continued development promises even greater contributions to the classical music world in the years ahead.
