Quick Facts
Biography
Virginia "Ginny" Tiu (born 1954) is an American philanthropist and former child piano prodigy.
Career
Tiu began playing the piano when she was three, with her father as her first teacher. On May 3, 1959, Tiu appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time; she continued to appear on the show several times throughout 1960.
Tiu appeared as Chow-Lee on The Danny Thomas Show in the episode "The China Doll," which aired on October 19, 1959.
In 1962, she performed in front of John F. Kennedy. She also appeared in the film Girls! Girls! Girls! as Mai Ling, performing "Earth Boy" with Elvis Presley and her sister Elizabeth.
In 1968, she appeared on The Jonathan Winters Show with her family.
In 2014, Tiu received the Monsignor Charles A. Kekumano Noblesse Oblige Service Award from the Maryknoll School. In 2018, she was awarded Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
In June 2021, Tiu joined the Animal Legal Defense Fund board. In August, she joined the University of Hawaii Foundation board of trustees. As of May 2022, she serves on the board of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the University of Hawaii Foundation Board of Trustees and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Personal life
Tiu was born in the Philippines, the middle child of nine siblings including Vicky Cayetano. Tiu lived in Southern California, Chicago and San Francisco before moving to Hawaii in 1987.
