Di WANG, the piano faculty at the School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, is a pianist who touches the souls of his audience. He has given many recitals in great concert halls in the world, such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Poly Theater in Shenzhen. The New York Concert Review praised his performance, “Meltingly played”.

After a few years of learning the piano at the age of five, he was accepted to Central Conservatory of Music Middle School with the highest score and started to study under the tutelage of Professor Ling Yuan. With exceptional excellence, he entered Middle School without an audition. He made his international appearance at the 7^th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in the Netherlands. His performance was highly praised by the Jury member, world-famous Liszt interpreter—Leslie Howard, who then recommended him to the legendary American pianist, Jerome Rose. At the age of eighteen, Di went on to study with Jerome Rose at Mannes College of Music in New York with a full scholarship. He was also offered a full scholarship at the Juilliard School at the time.  

After winning the Dorothy MacKenzie Scholarship at International Keyboard Institute & Festival in 2006, Di took the 1^st prize in the Concerto Competition of Mannes School of Music in 2007 and performed with the Mannes Orchestra at Lincoln Center. His special interest in Chopin’s music led him to the 3^rd Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA, and he was recommended by the Jury Committee to the 16^th Chopin Competition in Warsaw. At Mannes, he studied Schenkerian Analysis with Carl Schachter, conducting with Michael Charry (former conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and music composition with Noam Sivan.

During his D.M.A. study at Mason Gross School of the Arts, he performed many solo and chamber concerts and collaborated with the dean of the String Department, Cellist Jonathan Spitz. As the teaching assistant of the piano department, he also gave piano lessons regularly. His Doctoral thesis, on C.P.E. Bach’s improvisational influence on Mozart and Haydn, showed a new perspective of understanding the great composers of the Classical period.

Although largely occupied by Classical music, Di’s interests are not confined to it. His scientific curiosity led him back on campus again, one at Columbia University in New York, majoring in Mathematics and Economics. Now, he is actively devoting himself to not only music performance, but also music education. He was on the jury committee of the 2021 Hannover Gieseking International Piano Elite Invitational in Beijing.