Nation's piano teacher

During that difficult period, he became a student of Zhou, who gave him a lot of personal space to freely select repertoires and choose competitions that he wanted to participate in. Within two years, Wang gradually regained his confidence and joy in playing.

"It was a turning point for me. As a teacher, she was amiable and always encouraged me. I felt relaxed and secure when I was studying with her," recalls Wang.

At the age of 17, he participated in the ARD International Music Competition held in Munich, Germany, as the youngest performer that year, and won third place in the competition.

"During the semifinal, I insisted on playing Schubert's Piano Sonata D 95, though Zhou suggested that I play Schumann's Carnival. She supported me and gave me a piece of paper before I played during the semifinal, telling me to be confident and relaxed. 'Everything will be fine,' she said," recalls Wang. "I will never forget her words, which helped me to fully enjoy music and be creative."

In 1998, Wang was admitted to the Hannover Conservatory of Music. He received his PhD degree from the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hannover, with a perfect score in academic performance, the first in the university's history. Now, Wang is a faculty member, teaching the piano at Tianjin Juilliard School, the first overseas campus of the New York-based Juilliard School.