John Wang is a sophomore at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. John started piano lessons at the age of five with Ms. Shearon Horton. After Ms. Horton moved to Austin, Texas in 2007, he continued studying with her for the next seven years through a combination of live lessons, remote lessons via Skype, and video uploading and critiquing. John currently studies with Ms. Constance Carroll in Baton Rouge and Mr. Alexandre Moutouzkine of the Manhattan School of Music.
John has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009, 2011, and 2013, making his orchestral debut at age nine. In 2013, he won Second Place and the Chopin Prize at the MTNA National Junior Competition. John has also won first place prizes, including the Debose National Piano Competition and the Marjorie Stricklyn Emerging Young Artists Competition. In July 2014, he won First Prize and the Audience Prize at the International Institute for Young Musicians (IIYM) Piano Competition in Lawrence, Kansas. He has recently performed as a guest artist with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra in Monroe, Louisiana.
John has performed in master classes for Nelita True, Alan Chow, ChingYun Hu, Xiang Zou, and Jerome Lowenthal, among others. In July and August, 2014 he attended the Philadelphia Young Artists Academy at Curtis, performing in Field Concert Hall. He later gave recitals in Halle, Germany, where he participated in the 2014 Euro Music Festival. In his commitment to community service and sharing his love of music, John frequently performs for retirement homes in New Orleans.
Repertoire
Round I
Bach Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV 944
Wagner-Liszt Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Prokofiev Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28
Round II
Beethoven Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major, Op. 27, No. 1
Ligeti Études, Book 1, No. 4 Fanfares
Ligeti Études, Book 1, No. 5 Arc en ciel
Balakirev Islamey, “Oriental Fantasy” Op. 18
Round III
Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22: I
