Chiyan Wong

Pianist Chiyan Wong gained acclaim early in his career for exciting reinterpretations of virtuoso keyboard repertory. A specialist in the music of Busoni and Liszt, Wong has brought his training as a composer to bear in creating fresh versions of their works, such as an adaptation of Busoni's arrangement of Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, on a 2021 Linn release. Wong was born in Hong Kong on November 13, 1988. He began his piano education there but moved to England when he was 12 to continue his studies, enrolling at Chetham's School of Music, where he worked with Norma Fisher. Wong went on to the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Christopher Elton. He took composition classes from Thomas Adès at the Prussia Cove International Musicians’ Seminar and studied counterpoint in Paris with Naji Hakim. He also attended the International Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria, where he was a prizewinner. As of early 2021, Wong was completing a doctoral degree at the Royal Academy of Music, writing a dissertation on Busoni's music. having already gained wide notice as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and recording artist. Successful festival appearances at the International Music Festival in Dinard, France, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Singapore International Piano Festival put Wong on bookers' radars, and he performed an all-Liszt recital at London's Wigmore Hall. Wong planned to return to Hong Kong for a performance with the Hong Kong Philharmonic during the 2020-2021 season. As of 2021, he was based in Berlin. Wong records for the Linn label. He made his debut in 2017 with Liszt Transfigured: Operatic Fantasies for Piano, based on his own transcriptions and arrangements. In 2020, he joined Jonathan Freeman-Attood on the album Richard Strauss and the Viennese Trumpet. He returned the following year with the album Bach-Busoni: Goldberg Variations and other works. ~ James Manheim