Derek
Wang

An eloquent proponent of the original works and virtuosic transcriptions of Franz Liszt, Derek was awarded 2^nd prize at the 12^th International Liszt Competition (Liszt Utrecht) in 2022. His final round performance with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic conducted by Christian Reif was hailed as ​“spectacular” by de Volkskrant. The prize, which includes three years of concert engagements, followed on the heels of 1^st prize at the inaugural New York International Liszt Competition in 2021, for which he was awarded an all-Liszt debut recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. 

Recent performances include a five-concert tour of the Netherlands; debuts for the Fazioli Concert Hall series in Italy, the Nohant Festival Chopin in France, the American Liszt Society in New York, and the Florida Keys Concert Association; and return engagements at the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and the Moab Music Festival in Utah. 

Derek holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School, where he received a Kovner Fellowship and the Joseph W. Polisi Prize for exemplifying the school’s values of the artist as citizen. His principal teachers were Stephen Hough, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Matti Raekallio. He continues studies at the Yale School of Music as an Artist Diploma candidate in the studio of Boris Slutsky.