It has not gone unnoticed that Canada has been dominating the world of classical piano. Yearly because the starting of this decade, a Canadian has gained a serious worldwide piano competitors. Bruce Liu of Montreal made headlines in 2021 by being the primary Canadian to win First Prize within the prestigious XVIII Chopin Piano Competitors. ‘
That very same 12 months, at age 16, Calgarian Kevin Chen grew to become the youngest ever winner of the Franz Liszt Worldwide Piano Competitors. This was adopted by his First Prize wins within the Geneva Worldwide Music Competitors (2022) and the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Grasp Competitors (2023). In September this 12 months, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko from Salmon Arm, B.C., gained the Leeds Worldwide Piano Competitors.
The most recent Canadian to take the classical world by storm is 17-year-old Ryan Wang from Vancouver. He’s the winner of BBC Younger Musician 2024, the famend competitors that has launched the careers of celebrated artists like cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and violinist Nicola Benedetti.
Ryan isn’t any stranger to piano competitions. Earlier than his BBC win, he already has a protracted checklist of worldwide awards on his resume, together with the Prix Corto from the École Normale de Musique de Paris. Though he doesn’t come from a musical household, he confirmed an early curiosity within the instrument. He began piano classes on the age of 4, and inside a 12 months, he was performing his first solo recital at Carnegie Corridor. The lovely five-year-old additionally charmed the world when he appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres present. Since then, he has been performing recitals and with orchestras throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Ryan is presently in his final 12 months of secondary training at Eton Faculty within the UK, the place he’s on a music scholarship, and obtained his Artist Diploma from the École Normale de Musique de Paris in France in Could 2024. We spoke to Ryan about his journey and up to date BBC win.
Rising Up in a Musical World
Naturally, the label of prodigy has adopted Ryan all his life. However, due to his mother and father who at all times put his childhood first, he has taken that with a grain of salt and by no means let it form him. “My mother and father actually shielded me from an excessive amount of publicity, and I’m actually glad they did as a result of I feel youngster prodigies have to develop and develop to grow to be an artist.”
Not solely did he have an all-rounded childhood, Ryan feels he has not missed out on being a teen. He has many pursuits exterior of music like working, snowboarding and enjoying basketball. Hanging out and bonding with folks is vital to him, particularly as a result of enjoying the piano may be very solitary.
The world has been watching Ryan since he was 5 years previous. It’s apparent from the various YouTube movies of his early performances that he was a fearless youngster who simply beloved the eye and being on digital camera. As he will get older, he has developed extra self-awareness, understanding that “individuals are watching”. To assist together with his nerves, his technique is to, “deal with the music and what I need to say to the viewers.”
Apart from his academics, Ryan is impressed by many pianists. Somebody he particularly appears to be like as much as is Singaporean American pianist Kate Liu, who gained the Bronze Medal on the 2015 Chopin Piano Competitors. “I feel she has a really distinctive inventive voice. Her music is extremely touching. I watched her as soon as in particular person, and it was simply unbelievable what she does.”
The BBC Younger Musician Competitors
Ryan feels that competitions have helped him develop as an artist and as an individual. “I’ve needed to be taught loads about myself by doing competitions as a result of they actually push you to the restrict.”
Of all of the competitions Ryan has taken half in, the current BBC Competitors was his most memorable. “The BBC Competitors is extremely revered within the UK. It’s the largest competitors on the planet for younger folks.”
The 5 rounds of the competitors lasted about six months. He took miniatures of his recital applications and put them into quick applications for every spherical. For the ultimate spherical, he selected to play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. “I put aside 2 weeks in my summer time holidays to be taught the Rach Two, to actually get to know the piece nicely.
“Rach Two is simply so stunning and has the very best melodies. It simply matched what I needed to say, and I felt it captured my inventive voice. I like romantic music. And Rachmaninoff actually simply spoke to me.”
Famend Trumpeter Alison Balsom, one of many BBC Competitors judges, praised Ryan for his “extraordinarily uncommon capability to speak one thing other-worldly — and embody the music,” which, together with “his flawless method, he was capable of reveal his soul with such honesty […] it’s exhilarating on any stage to listen to a teen categorical this stage of artistry.”
His Musical Voice
When requested about how he approaches the music and connects together with his viewers, Ryan says he first thinks in regards to the aesthetics. He typically has sturdy, nearly cussed concepts about his interpretation of a bit. “I do know what I need to do with the piece. I at all times observe my instinct, my very own emotions,” he says.
“If you concentrate on the way it impacts you, and the way it modifications your life, then it should come. It should present by your music, and as soon as you discover that, that’s your inventive voice. When you understand what the music means to you, it should come by within the enjoying, and thru to the viewers as nicely. And I feel what makes somebody’s music touching or thrilling is that voice.
“On the finish of the day, music is about magnificence and sharing feelings. I feel musicians take note of very small particulars, and it’s very straightforward to get caught up in them. However in the event you take a look at the massive image, it’s all about magnificence.
“You at all times have to review the rating, and you need to respect the composer. However ultimately, it comes from inside you. It’s about how you’re feeling in your coronary heart and soul. In case you don’t observe that, your enjoying gained’t be trustworthy.”
Ryan Wang performs Chopin Nocturne in B main op. 62 no. 1 on July 30 2024:
Subsequent Steps
Although Ryan will probably be graduating from secondary faculty subsequent 12 months, he has not selected his subsequent strikes, though he appears to gravitate in direction of staying in Europe. Proper now, his focus is on performing as a lot as he can.
He’s set to carry out in Toronto on January 5, on the Li Delun Music Basis’s New 12 months’s Live performance, wherein he’ll play Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Toronto Pageant Orchestra. Extra engagements within the UK and France are to observe within the new 12 months. As well as, Ryan hopes to foray into performing in continents like South America and Africa that he has not but set foot in.
Ryan is very drawn to the music of Chopin. His debut album is a group of Chopin preludes that have been recorded dwell from a efficiency in Bordeaux. Although he’s tight-lipped about future recordings, he hinted that they’re within the plans. Except for Chopin, he additionally loves compositions by Schubert and Liszt, and is a fan of Baroque works from Handel and Scarlatti. He want to uncover and carry out extra music by Schubert and Brahms.
Ryan is definitely an inspiration to many younger pianists. When requested about his recommendation to them, he replies, “I feel it’s very straightforward for younger gamers to be swayed by completely different opinions in music, as a result of music is so subjective. However in the event you really feel passionately about one thing, it is best to hearken to your personal voice, as a result of that’s how artists are made. Music is an artwork and artists ought to at all times be artistic. And, so long as you take pleasure in it, the viewers will take pleasure in it as nicely.”
- Ryan Wang will carry out on the Li Delun Music Basis’s New 12 months’s Live performance on January 5, 2025, on the George Weston Recital Corridor, Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto. Get tickets and extra data [HERE].
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Denise Lai is a Physiotherapist and Faculty Professor. She is an alumnus of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and a rusty piano participant.