XIAYIN WANG INVITES HAWAII ON A CLASSICAL ADVENTURE

Xiayin Wang is an impressively young and brilliant pianist who has played herself all the way from China to New York City. She’s performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, rallying raving reviews as she goes. With each performance, the flawless marriage of her passion and technical skill takes audiences to another world. She instills within them a redefined appreciation for the beauty of music by inviting them to take an adventure with her through classical compositions. After traveling around the country, she is now coming to Hawaii for an extensive tour and what she calls a “dream come true.”

Pianist Xiayin Wang

Wang, born in China, began playing the piano when she was five years old. She received strict technical training in the instrument, setting a solid foundation for her career to come. When she immigrated to the United States in 1997, she was surprised at how different music education was. She found that the United States was much more lenient as far as technical skill, but focused more on personal character development. This turned out to be the perfect transition for Wang. Having her technical training to back her up, she was able to fully explore a diverse variety of musical concepts and find who she was as a musician.

Now, after earning her Masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music, Wang has experienced the value of music education and hopes to share that with others through teaching. She feels that it is her responsibility to share the history of piano playing and how it has grown throughout time. Teaching the next generation is “the key to helping ensure a future for them in appreciating the value of music,” she says. For this reason, along with performing, Wang will be teaching Master classes at University of Hawaii Manoa and University of Hawaii Hilo as well as participating in Kauai Concert Association’s education outreach program while she is here.

Xiayin Wang has received international recognition for her performances as recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist.

Wang is thrilled to be coming to the islands, stating that the music she loves is just like Hawaiian culture: fiery and passionate. She has heard that the people of Hawaii have a natural love for music, and looks forward to exploring that bond with her audiences. Something else that she has heard about Hawaii is that it has some pretty ono plate lunch. So she will most likely be caught grinding a few of those on her way from the North shore to Hanauma Bay to the Iolani Palace – just a few of the places that she hopes to go.

During her tour, Wang will be performing compositions from her newest album, based around the works of the Russian composer, Scriabin. She describes it as being full of musical “fragrance” with a dreamy, mysterious quality to it. The album is a colorful journey through Scriabin’s musical development, sure to be enjoyed by even the classical music un-enthusiast. It debuted on Billboard’s classical album chart when released in May, and is still being awarded with unrelenting praise.

Story by Sarah Burke
Photos by Sarah Shatz

Xiayin Wang will be performing at Orvis Auditorium on Oahu on Nov. 16th, KCC Performing Arts Theatre on Kauai on Nov. 18th , and East Hawaii Cultural Center on the Big Island on Nov. 21st. To reserve tickets for Orvis Auditorium, ($12 General/$8 Students), call 808-956-8742. For the Kauai show, go to www.kauai-concert.org. to reserve a free ticket. On the Big Island call EHCC at 808-961-5711 for tickets ($15 General/$10 Seniors & Students).

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