A pianist in search of authenticity

Family used to play a big part in her motivation. Born in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Wang was raised in a family of piano teachers, where nearly everyone worked at the piano. Wang recalls her innocent puzzlement during her childhood when a taciturn uncle gave her a rare recording of legendary Polish pianist Ignaz Friedman. But it was her grandfather who remained a spiritual figure until he passed away in early 2025. In a photograph taken after a 2020 recital in Hohhot, her grandfather stood next to her onstage, smiling majestically and standing upright like a martial arts master.

"If he were still here today, he would have been so proud. But unfortunately, the person who cared the most about my achievement did not live to see this moment. What do I make of this? It's a life lesson," says Wang, wearing a gray Nirvana T-shirt.

During the Japan tour, she had a conversation about what an ideal career might be like with her close friend Eric Lu. Lu grew up in a Chinese American family in Massachusetts and was crowned champion at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition last year. Because he was also the winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, his name has entered the history books as a pianist who has won two major contests, along with the late Radu Lupu. "There are many ups and downs in a music career. These similar experiences draw us closer," says Wang, who also paid a visit to the Tokyo home of Japanese pianist Aimi Kobayashi and her husband, pianist and conductor Kyohei Sorita, with gifts for their baby.

Wang, Lu and Kobayashi entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at a young age. The highly competitive academy has been viewed as a home for prodigies, producing stars like Lang Lang and Yuja Wang. But even a wunderkind needs a likable personality, good luck and active networking to be recognized. In unfamiliar surroundings, it was easy to feel like outsiders. Wang and Kobayashi both studied under professor Meng-Chieh Liu at Curtis and shared a similar appreciation for author Haruki Murakami. Kobayashi also loved the homemade dishes cooked by Wang's mother.

In the piano studios where lessons were held, Wang and her two professors sometimes stopped playing and began to share stories. She became inquisitive, and signed up for a philosophy course on morality at the University of Pennsylvania. She also explored early music and studied the harpsichord, even creating an ensemble to play a harpsichord concerto at Curtis. Her ability to sight-read and memorize scores, a solid foundation set by her professors Chang Hua and Sheng Yuan at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music, also made her a go-to artist for contemporary works.

Competitions continued after graduation from Curtis. Eventually, the trio of Wang, Lu and Kobayashi became laureates on the same grand stage. During the Chopin competition in Warsaw, they supported each other between rounds, attended dress rehearsals and shared artistic interpretations. For them, it was more about the moments spent together, rather than the stardom.

When Wang played Chopin's Nocturne Op 27 No 1 in C-sharp Minor at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2021, Kobayashi sat with Wang's mother among the audience.

"I realize that a large part of me has been wired to play well, so as not to disappoint my family," says Wang. "I've told myself to put that thought to rest, and search for what I really want. Even if I figure it out, and it doesn't turn out to be playing the piano, that's just fine.

"But now, I still really want to take to the stage and enjoy music-making," Wang says, smiling. Pianist and professor Meng-Chieh Liu once told her to embrace every moment onstage spontaneously, just as one does in life. Perhaps that is why Wang's interpretations captivate and transport the listeners. At the end of her Curtis graduation recital in 2022, she performed Zart und singend from Robert Schumann's Davidsbundlertanze as a special tribute to her late professor Eleanor Sokoloff, who passed away at the age of 106. She is playing the same work on her current tour, but likely, with a newly found conviction.

The author is a freelance writer for China Daily.