Chiyan Wong

“Wong skillfully balances fire, flair and levity…Ethereal, held-breath delicacy.” The Guardian (UK)
“Jaw-dropping and spine-tingling pianistic mayhem… This is how legends are made.” The Straits Times

Born in Hong Kong and based in Berlin, pianist Chiyan Wong's audacity and vision have captivated
listeners, in a repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to the 21st century.

Chiyan completed and edited the transcriptions presented in his critically acclaimed debut album,
Liszt Transfigured: Operatic Fantasies for Piano (LINN Records), which was awarded the 40th Franz
Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque by the Franz Liszt Society in Hungary. He has recently
released his second album, which features his combination of Bach's Goldberg Variations with
Busoni’s edition of the same work.

Chiyan came to international attention in earlier debuts at festivals such as the International Music
Festival in Dinard, France, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Singapore International Piano
Festival, where he has been a frequent guest. He was a prizewinner at the International Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, and made his debut in London's Wigmore Hall with a Liszt recital.

Recent highlights include his Paris debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, as well as the Hungarian and Taiwanese premiere of Thomas Adès’ Piano Concerto. Chiyan has also been collaborating with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and has worked with conductors such as Yu Long, Zhang Xian, Pascal Rophé and Krzysztof Urbánski. A highlight of the upcoming season includes his solo debut at the Berlin Konzerthaus in March 2024.
Wong’s recital for Premiere Performances Hong Kong, given in the spring of 2021, has been the subject of a feature-length concert film, Encore!, which was shown in his native city.
This year sees the release of SWING! - a recording for Platoon/Apple Music, comprising jazz influenced music by Alexander Tsfasman and Ravel, in a collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Christoph Koncz.
Wong’s two recordings have met with critical acclaims. In his debut album Liszt Transfigured for LINN Records, he completed and edited Liszt’s opera transcriptions and was awarded the 40th Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque by the Franz Liszt Society in Hungary. For his second album, he recorded his own version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, drawing from the edition by Busoni.
Having made his debut at prestigious venues such as the Salzburg Mozarteum, and the Wigmore Hall, in which he gave an all-Liszt recital, Wong first came to international attention in earlier debuts at festivals such as the International Music Festival in Dinard, France, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Singapore International Piano Festival.
Beginning his musical education in Hong Kong, Wong moved to England aged 12 to study with Norma Fisher at the Chethams School of Music, and subsequently Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His interest in composition led him to work with Thomas Adès at the Prussia Cove International Musicians’ Seminar, as well as counterpoint studies with Naji Hakim in Paris. These encounters have left a strong mark on Wong’s musical work. Wong completed his doctorate on Busoni at the Royal Academy of Music in London, with support from the Lee Hysan Foundation.