He started playing piano at the age of four and performed his first solo recital at the legendary Carnegie Hall at the age of five.

He was also featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, since then this local pianist prodigy known as Ryan Wang has performed at many prestigious venues and alongside world-renowned orchestras across the globe. Including solo recitals in Italy, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK).

As a soloist, he has performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Festival Orchestra, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, and the West Coast Symphony. Ryan, now 15, has won numerous music competitions and awards, and was also invited to perform on national television.

He is currently studying on a music scholarship in the UK and in France.

Jim Gordon (JG): Ryan, I just mentioned France because I understand you just returned last night from France, where you competed in a solo competition. You’re 15, but this competition you were in the category was 16 to 30, you were the youngest, and you won. Tell us about that. 

Ryan Wang (RW): It was a very interesting experience, as all competitions are different, and this one was so enjoyable because it was more like a family than a competition. The competitors were all so friendly with each other and it was great to perform on the stage for a Parisian audience. It was also great to celebrate with everyone afterwards as well. Playing was surreal. 

JG: That is quite commendable, I must ask, when you go to a competition like this are there categories or musical boundaries as to what you can perform? 

RW: This one was a Chopin music competition, so everyone played Chopin. There were three rounds and they specified what you were to play in each round. I chose pieces which are dear to me and there’s always flexibility in-between. Chopin is my favourite composer. 

JG: I am fascinated by people with your prodigious like talent, because you took this up at such a young age, tell me what was it that you first felt, saw, heard, when you saw the piano. Did something immediately reach out to you? 

RW: I just remember, I would be with the piano always, on the piano, underneath the piano, or just around the piano. I remember when I was young, whenever I saw a piano, I wanted to play it, so there was kind of an attraction towards pianos, and that’s what fostered my love for this. 

JG: I guess looking back at your younger self, you maybe can’t articulate what it was, it’s just something you instantly connected with. I’ve interviewed a lot of musicians over the years where they too started young, and everyone just seemed to have this commonality that it was just something that grabbed them. It’s interesting too, I can certainly learn to play the piano, but I can’t make it sing like you do. Are you constantly learning and challenging yourself to keep your talent fresh? 

RW: I always try to find new sounds on the piano and am always learning how I can create a better sound and how I can improve my pianistic qualities. I’ve learned so much over the past year. It’s just about finding yourself, because everyone’s body is different and so the way we make sound is different. But I think in the end it’s about relaxation and being at peace when you’re at the piano, even when you’re nervous just to be relaxed in your whole body makes a difference. That’s been my big discovery this past year. 

JG: When you’re in these competitions, which can be quite nerve-racking, do you just get into a zone where you’re not even thinking, you’re just playing? Does it just flow naturally say, like an athlete, a writer, or an actor? 

RW: I think with athletes in particular, I think muscle memory is very important and for musicians, it is to an extent. But something has to happen on the stage, or something has to come into you spiritually, it’s more than just the fingers it’s about what’s inside. And I think that’s what is so different between performing and sports, it’s very physical but it’s also something inside as well. 

JG: Are there composers today, that you look at and get inspiration from? 

RW: Now with YouTube and Google, you can watch everyone, I think, you say watching this person isn’t going to affect me, but actually it does affect you. Everyone you watch is going to affect you in some way and I think it’s a culmination of what you’ve learned and watched that determines in the end how you play. Everyone plays so differently; their bodies are so different and that’s what’s so special about each person. 

JG: One of the nice things I love about your story Ryan, is it involves your mom who is sitting off camera. I’d like to get serious for a moment because this does involve your mom and the reason for a wonderful partnership with Richmond Hospital. 

RW: I partnered with the Richmond Hospital many years ago and it’s been a very long-term friendly relationship. I’m able to play concerts to raise money for Richmond Hospital because they’ve done so much for my family, especially my mom, and I’m just so grateful for that. Being able to use my music to help the Richmond Hospital Foundation is the best thing I could ever ask for. 

JG: A lovely story about giving back, and I’m glad your mom is well. In reference to that, Spencer Gall, who is the campaign director of Richmond Hospital Foundation said “we wish to extend our gratitude to Ryan for sharing his incredible music talent and fundraising to give back to the community of Richmond”.

Ryan, you are currently studying in the UK and France, can you share with us, what the next five years of your life looks like? 

RW: I want to just keep playing the piano, it’s a lifelong thing for me now. I don’t really know where I’m going to go after I graduate, I might stay in Europe or come back to North America, I just know I want to be a concert pianist, that’s my dream. 

JG: As a soloist, as you get closer to finishing your school career, is it usual to get approached by orchestras or is it more like, I want to do solo, but I’ll play with orchestras on occasion. 

RW: Usually as a soloist, I think we usually work with many orchestras and there are tours with one particular orchestra but usually it’s wherever we go and if the orchestra is there then we work with them. 

JG: How much time do you need when you arrive somewhere, like Toronto or Singapore, before you can get used to working together? 

RW: It depends, because sometimes I arrive and then the next day I will perform. Sometimes it’s the day of, or the day before because usually we’re quite experienced and usually it’s quite straightforward. 

JG: You’re an extremely bright young man, I forget that I’m talking to a 15-year-old, do you get to be 15 in other ways? Do you have hobbies outside of the piano? 

RW: Piano is like a hobby, because at my school we have a lot to do not only in the classroom, but we also have sports, and get to hang out with our friends and be a complete human-being. But I have so many other hobbies like, I like to eat, ski, mountain-bike, and when you have a less serious approach to something you will enjoy it more. 

To view the full interview, visit richmondsentinel.ca/videos