William Yang

Winner, U.S. National Chopin Competition

Special Pre-Season Recital

Sunday, September 14, 2025 – 3:00 PM

Mairs Concert Hall, Macalester College

Program

CHOPIN
Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, no. 1
Waltz in A-flat, Op. 42
Etude in B minor, Op. 25, no. 10
Preludes, Op. 28, nos. 19-24
4 Mazurkas, Op. 33 
2 Nocturnes, Op. 32 
Sonata in B minor, Op. 58 

24-year old Twin Cities native William Yang, Winner of the 2025 National Chopin Piano Competition in January 2025, will represent the US at the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw this October. In addition to first prize, he was recognized with prizes for the best mazurka and sonata. His win includes recording an album on the Steinway label and a concert tour ahead of the competition in Warsaw that includes a performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in June 2025 and a special pre-season recital for the Chopin Society in his home state of Minnesota. Previous competition wins include Second Prize at the 2014 Midwest International Piano Competition, Sixth Prize at the 2018 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition, and becoming a semifinalist and winner of the special Bach Prize at the 2015 Cleveland International Young Artist Piano Competition. 

William obtained his Bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music with Robert McDonald and continues studying with him at Juilliard. His previous teachers were Alexander Korsantia at New England Conservatory Prep and Dr. Paul Wirth at the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts in Minnesota. Yang has also worked with notable teachers Huang-Kuan Chen, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Gary Graffman, Peter Takacs, Boris Berman, and Andre Watts, among others. 

William Yang piano studies at the age of four, gave his first public performances at age seven and debuted with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 9. Since then, he has also appeared as soloist with the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  

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