At the age of 17, Ryan Wang has already accomplished so much as a musician. In 2013 as a five-year-old piano whiz from Vancouver, Wang charmed the world when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. With a child-size tuxedo and an impish smile, Wang performed Variations on a Russian Theme.
“There was almost no self-awareness because I was so young at the time,” Wang tells Pancouver over Zoom before his November 15 concert with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra.
Then last month, Wang returned to the spotlight in a big way. This time it was in the United Kingdom, where he’s in his fifth year at the famous Eton College secondary boarding school. On October 20, Britain learned that Wang had won the prestigious BBC Young Musician competition, which showcases classical stars of the future.
Wang’s victory was announced in a nationally televised broadcast after he had performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
“Rach 2 is one of the most popular and loved pieces of classical music,” Wang explains. “I wanted to play something by Rachmaninoff because in the earlier rounds, I’d played Chopin, I’d played Ligeti, I’d played Liszt. I felt like there was something missing—and Rachmaninoff seemed to the final piece of the puzzle, the final bit of my artistry that I wanted to show to the jury.”
He maintains that Rach 2, as he calls it, symbolizes new hope and a new beginning.
“This competition symbolized that as well for me,” Wang continues. “So, I think that piece was just a perfect, perfect choice for this competition.”
Wang will perform at the Chan Centre
He felt it was important to perform accessible music in the BBC competition.
“At the end of the day, music is universal,” Wang declares. “It’s about the shared human connection, which you allow yourself to convey on the stage and in the moment.”
On November 15, Wang will perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. He describes this piece as “an incredibly personal work” with amazing melodies.
“The first time I heard the second subject in the first movement was just enlightening,” Wang declares.
He also mentions Chopin’s dance element in the third movement, describing the slow sections as “lonely”.
“It really just speaks to the soul,” the pianist adds. “That’s what has drawn me so much to his piano concertos.”
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Reconnecting with Maestro Ken Hsieh
Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra music director Ken Hsieh will conduct the concert. Wang notes that that in his youth, he witnessed Hsieh conduct an entire symphony with no sheet music.
“I was in the audience and I just thought, ‘Wow, like, he can memorize so much music for so many different instruments,’ ” Wang recalls.
He reveals that he once asked Hsieh if he works out because he expresses himself so vigorously on-stage.
For his part, Hsieh helped Wang understand how to work with conductors to make a concert successful. Wang points out that the first rehearsal can be incredibly daunting. But when he performed as a 10-year-old soloist with the VMO in 2018, Hsieh smoothed the waters.
“There are so many orchestra members—and you’re the soloist!” Wang says. “If you can make it work, the soloist can really stand out while also blending in at the same time.”
Wang wins Prix Cortot
The same year that he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Wang performed his first solo recital at Carnegie Hall. In 2014, he played piano at Yundi Li’s 2014 New Year’s Concert in Beijing. He also performed at an APEC summit and at the home of former prime minister Stephen Harper.
Since his last appearance with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, Wang has scaled impressive heights as a pianist. He won the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition for Youth in Szafarnia, Poland, as well as the Seattle International Piano Competition and Chicago International Music Competition.
Earlier this year, he became the youngest person to win the Prix Cortot.
Wang has also released a live album, Chopin Preludes. Through it all, he has never considered himself to be a prodigy, saying that word should be reserved for geniuses.
He modestly credits his instructors, including Gareth Owen at Eton College and Lee Kum Sing in Vancouver. Wang earned an artist diploma at École Normale de Musique de Paris under the tutelage of Prof. Marian Rybicki. The young pianist also praises his mother, Iris, for working so hard to support his career.
Learning and travelling
For him, musicianship is a lifelong voyage.
“Piano was quick for me to pick up and pieces were easy for me to pick up quickly at a young age,” Wang acknowledges. “But that’s just the beginning of a very long journey of self-discovery.”
He feels privileged to be able to attend a high school where he’s permitted to travel to performances in other cities. He emphasizes that his interpretations are evolving as he increases his understanding about the cultural and historical context of certain pieces.
Moreover, this learning and travel—as well as recreational pursuits such as skiing and cliff-jumping—enrich his artistry with boldness and passion.
“All these exciting, exhilarating emotions that I feel through music are connected with these sports and these experiences that I have,” Wang explains.
Watch Pancouver editor Charlie Smith’s interview with Ryan Wang.
Event details
The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra will host its VMO Pops and Classics Concert with piano soloist Ryan Wang at 7:30 p.m. on November 15. The concert will take place at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on UBC’s Point Grey campus. For tickets, visit Tickets.UBC.ca. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
This article is part of “Beyond Chinese”, a joint initiative of Pancouver and the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association. Through interviews with artists and cultural workers, Beyond Chinese offers a nuanced view of people with Chinese ancestry. Pancouver and the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association gratefully acknowledge the support of Canadian Heritage.
