Student Profile: Ke Wang, Concerto Competition winner

For Concerts@Bienen's student spotlight series, we interviewed pianist Ke Wang, a 2023 winner of Northwestern's Concerto Competition. Ke will be playing with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

Profile by Ylang Guo

What initially drew you to the piano, and what keeps you going?

The piano is one of the instruments that even those with little knowledge about music can easily play and produce some pleasant sounds. This has to be the main reason for me to choose piano over other instruments when I was little. Yet the motivation for me to keep learning music and start enjoying it comes from a rather different perspective. During my early music education, I discovered the existence of various music forms beyond solo piano, such as chamber music, orchestral music, opera, and ballet. I became obsessed with the music created through collaborative efforts and gradually realized the importance of collaboration and sharing in music. I wouldn't have been able to progress on my musical journey this far without the opportunities to collaborate with others and share my music with people.

How do you plan to achieve your goals of incorporating piano into your future?

As mentioned above, music has become an inalienable part of my life, serving as a primary avenue for me to connect with people, share positive energy, and inspire creativity. In the future, I aspire to continue my dedication to piano performance while also nurturing my other musical interests, such as collaboration, composition, and teaching.

Please share what makes your experience at Bienen special to you.

The Bienen School of Music is likely the final academic destination for my early musical education as I pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree here. My experience at Bienen and Northwestern University has been certainly fulfilling, intriguing, and refreshing, setting it apart from my previous experiences in music conservatories. The school's beautiful facilities, prestigious resources, strong sense of community and fellowship between faculty and students, and access to various academic disciplines all contribute to making this experience very special to me.

What is the key to practicing your piece with orchestra?

For any piece of music that demands a collaborative effort, it is crucial for me to first understand each other's parts and roles, and then establish a smooth and constructive means of communication. This is essential to achieve a respectful exchange of musical ideas and to establish the basis for a successful performance of such a gigantic concerto, just as in other instances of teamwork. I greatly appreciate this opportunity to collaborate with Maestro Schleicher and fellow musicians, and look forward to sharing the marvelous Brahms concerto with everyone.

If you could collaborate in a concert with any artist of your choice, who would it be, and what do they mean to you?

I would love to play some Schubert lieder with the legendary baritone, Fischer Dieskau. His recording of Schubert's Die Winterreise has been one of the recordings that have charmed and inspired me since childhood.