At age 5, he debuted at CARNEGIE HALL - Ep 21 - This is the Legend Of Ryan Wang
At age 5,he made his professional piano performing debut at Carnegie Hall. Yes, 5 YEARS OLD.
At age 11, he performed for a Canadian prime minister.
At age 14, he won his first international piano competition.
By the age of 16, he won at least 5 international piano competitions, and was the youngest winner of Le Prix Cortot in world history.
How old is he right now? 17 YEARS OLD!
Not only that, but he will represent Canada on his Road to Warsaw, at the Olympics of piano, the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland on October 2025. Simultaneously, he will begin his academic pursuits at Harvard University and New England Conservatory, still at 17 YEARS OLD.
Join Amos Vang as he features the living legend of Ryan Wang, virtuoso pianist and 2024 BBC Young Musician of the Year, on his meteoric rise from prodigy to seasoned performer. Ryan discusses his inspirations of becoming a pianist, his deep connection with musicality, his experiences at winning competitions such as the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition, and the unbelievable potential that he holds as a pianist.
If you thought you knew legendary, wait till you tune into this story!
Ryan’s Instagram - @ryanwangpianist
Ryan’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ryanwangpianist8416
Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
Other music composed by: Amos Vang, Fryderyk Chopin, and their respective composers.
-- CHAPTERS --
0:00 – Introduction
5:37 – Reminiscing on the Canadian Chopin Competition
6:59 – What inspired Ryan Wang to pursue piano?
8:46 – Learning a musical instrument is very common in Asian families.
9:43 – Ryan Wang’s first piano teachers shaped his musical and even life skill foundations.
12:36 – What does Ryan Wang remember about his Carnegie Hall debut at 5 YEARS OLD?!
14:18 – What is Ryan Wang’s approach to preparing for piano competitions?
16:20 – Are the Chopin and Cliburn Competitions MORE DIFFICULT than the Olympics?!
20:24 – How does Ryan Wang adapt to different pianos and concert venues?
24:05 – Ryan Wang did not actually know what the Canadian Chopin Competition concert venue looked like!
26:08 – Ryan Wang performed alongside Bruce Liu and Yunchan Lim in 2023.
28:10 – What was the spark that made Ryan Wang embark on the Road to Warsaw?
30:50 – Ryan Wang won the International YOUTH Chopin Competition. What were the most important lessons that he learned from that competition, and how does he incorporate that into the big one in October 2025?
32:05 – A pianist is at their best when they are performing their heart out.
32:52 – Ryan Wang takes us through his adventure at the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition.
34:33 – Amos Vang CRIED when seeing Ryan Wang’s performance of Chopin’s Concerto in E Minor at the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition!
37:41 – Chopin’s Concerto in E Minor, especially the 2nd movement, is beautiful. Here’s why.
38:54 – What is musicality to Ryan Wang?
40:07 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Ryan Wang?
42:17 – Musicians are humans, too. People tend to focus too much on the celebrity aspect of artists.
44:28 – What surprised Ryan Wang the most about Chopin?
49:59 – What are some fun, unconventional methods of piano practice that Ryan Wang uses?
51:42 – How does Ryan Wang master the art of bel canto singing in piano performance?
54:53 – Pausing in music has the same emphatic effect as pausing in speech, especially when it comes to lawyering or announcing sports.
55:49 – To what extent does Ryan Wang balance his own musical philosophy with the composer’s musical philosophy?
57:54 – How does Ryan Wang develop and evolve his musical style? (Hint: there’s a bit of Descartes influence here!)
1:00:51 – What are the largest misconceptions that Ryan Wang has personally seen about classical music?
1:11:15 – What are the most rewarding things that Ryan Wang has experienced in his career?
1:13:03 – What is Ryan Wang’s mindset and game plan going into the main rounds of the 2025 International Chopin Competition in October 2025?