5 things to know about Angel Stanislav Wang, guest artist with the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts
By A. N. Patterson
The Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts will follow up their season opener this weekend. The program includes 2023 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition silver medalist Angel Stanislav Wang on his 2026-2027 recital tour, performing pieces by Debussy, Stravinsky, Liszt, and Granados. The program begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4 in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
On Saturday morning, I spoke with Wang, the youngest finalist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the day before the program. Here are Five Things to Know about this acclaimed performer:
Angel Stanislav Wang, guest artist, Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts, Sun. Oct. 4, 2026 at Fresno State. Photo courtesy of Opus 3 Artists.
1 – He comes from a musical family, and would have performances in his family’s living room. Wang began playing the piano when he was 5 years old under the guidance of his mother. It was clear from an early age that Wang showed much talent and potential, and his mother moved him to Moscow to attend the elite Gnessin Special School of Music.
2 – He danced professionally for nine years and got a brown belt in taekwondo before choosing music as a career. “I was interested in doing many other things besides music,” Wang said. “I was passionate about everything that I did, but I began to lean more towards music when the competitions started, and music naturally took over my time.”
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3 – He has won more than 35 international awards for his skill in music and is only 23 years old. As a testament to his ability, Wang won first prize at the International Rachmaninoff Piano Competition and is a celebrated Steinway Artist. Wang has also appeared at some of the leading international music festivals, such as the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Piano Loop Festival, the Shostakovich International Music Festival, and the Rafael Orozco Piano Festival.
4 – He has a special connection with some of the pieces being performed at the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts. “The Granados, Stravinsky, Liszt, Debussy, these are not only my favorite composers, but I’ll be playing my favorite pieces by my favorite composers,” said Wang. “They demonstrate different characters, different styles, different eras of classical music, and I really love this music. I think these pieces have become a part of my DNA. I don’t want to say anything beforehand for the audience because I think the music will speak for itself.”
The pieces being performed this weekend are among the ones Wang played at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition. “To play these pieces again for Fresno, now, brings back memories of the competition, which was also in itself a wonderful experience. It was stressful, but its given me really beautiful memories,” said Wang.
5 – He views passion and emotion as an essential element of classical music performance. Wang has previously been praised for blending his poetic sensitivity with his technical brilliance in many of his performances. According to Wang, the most important thing for the audience to experience is the beautiful emotions and happiness that comes with experiencing the music for its own sake.
Find Sunday’s concert program at the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts.
