Winner of the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition
Wynona Yinuo Wang launched her career after winning First Prize at the 2018 Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York City. Since then, she has captivated audiences across North America, performing with prestigious orchestras such as the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and the Meadows Symphony Orchestra. She has graced the stages of world-renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall.
Wynona has been featured in prestigious concert series like the New York Philharmonic’s Artist Spotlight and the Myra Hess Memorial Concerts. Internationally, she has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine and given solo recitals across China, Spain, and Indonesia.
A versatile artist, Wynona has garnered top prizes at numerous competitions, including the Sydney International Piano Competition and the Wideman International Piano Competition.
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PROGRAM
Schubert/Liszt transcriptions / Liebesträume, S.541, Franz Schubert (1797–1828) & Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Liszt held deep admiration for Schubert. In the late 1830s and 1840s, he transcribed some fifty‑odd of Schubert’s lieder (songs for voice and piano) into virtuosic solo piano pieces, seeking to bring Schubert’s melodic and poetic voice to a broader audience.
In these transcription works, the original vocal line is woven into the piano texture (sometimes in the treble, sometimes subtly embedded in inner voices) while Liszt provides imaginative accompaniment, harmonic expansion, and pianistic flourish.
By contrast, Liebesträume (published 1850) is an original Liszt creation (not a transcription). It is steeped in the Romantic ideal of love infused with introspection, combining singing melody and expressive accompaniment to evoke a dreamy, lyrical world.
Pi Huang, Zhang Zhao (b. 1964)
Zhao Zhang is a prolific Chinese composer and pianist, known for fusing elements of Chinese folk traditions, Peking Opera, and modern compositional techniques.
Pi Huang was composed in 1994–95 and later finalised (revised) in 2007; it won first prize in the Palatino Music Composition Competition. The title refers to the Peking Opera modes Xi Pi and Er Huang, and Zhao distils three core tones (C, B flat, G) from traditional vocal motifs that permeate both the melodic and harmonic fabric of the work.
In Pi Huang, Peking Opera's rhythm, structure, and timbral imagination inform the piano writing. Rhythmic gestures evoke the sounds of the gong, paiban, and jinghu, while vocal ornamentation techniques (e.g., elongated notes, glissandi) are reinterpreted within the keyboard idiom. The coda draws on the imagery of the poem “Ode to the Plum Blossom”, evoking heroism and inner strength.
Fantasie in C major, D.760, Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
I. Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro
Composed in 1822, Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy stands as one of his most technically demanding and structurally innovative piano works. The title refers to his 1816 song “Der Wanderer,” whose melody becomes the thematic seed for all four interconnected movements. Though the title was later applied, Schubert himself called the piece a “Fantasy,” emphasising its continuous, improvisatory spirit.
Unusual for its time, the Wanderer Fantasy unfolds in a single large arc, with each movement flowing seamlessly into the next. Its structure anticipates the cyclic forms favoured by later Romantic composers such as Liszt, who admired the work and orchestrated it in 1851.
Lilacs from 12 Romances, Op.21 / Daisies from 6 Romances, Op. 38, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Composed initially as art songs for voice and piano, Rachmaninoff later transcribed Lilacs and Daisies for solo piano, capturing their delicate lyricism within a purely instrumental texture. Both pieces showcase his gift for melody and atmosphere in miniature form.
Lilacs (1902), from his Op. 21 song set, evokes the gentle fragrance and emotional freshness of spring. In this transcription, the melody unfolds with a sense of tender, continuous bloom, surrounded by shimmering accompaniment.
Daisies (1916), composed initially during wartime exile, offers a brighter, more playful character. Its syncopated rhythms and airy texture evoke innocence and natural charm.
Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Lento
III. Allegro molto
Composed in 1907, Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Sonata is a vast, brooding work that blends structural ambition with expressive intensity. Though less often performed than his Second Sonata, it reveals a dramatic and philosophical depth. Rachmaninoff briefly considered basing it on Goethe’s Faust, with the three movements reflecting Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles, though he later abandoned this programmatic frame.
The sonata opens with dark, questing themes that suggest inner conflict and existential searching. The lyrical second movement offers a moment of tenderness and repose, while the finale surges forward with fiery passion and virtuosic drive.