William Yang

Age: 23

Hometown: New York, New York

School/Teacher: Juilliard School / Robert McDonald

Twenty-three-year-old William Yang won first prize at the 2025 National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. Along with the $100,000 first prize, he also receives a recording project on the Steinway label and a concert tour that includes a performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in June, 2025. At the same Competition, William was awarded prizes for the best performance of a mazurka and sonata. Recognition at earlier competitions include Second Prize at the 2014 Midwest International Piano Competition, Sixth Prize at the 2018 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition, and semifinalist and winner of the special Bach Prize at the 2015 Cleveland International Piano Competition.

 As a soloist, Mr. Yang has appeared with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and is currently a Kovner Fellow at The Juilliard School studying under Robert McDonald. His previous teachers were Alexander Korsantia and Paul Wirth. Mr. Yang has also received instruction from Hung- Kuan Chen, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Gary Graffman, Peter Takacs, Boris Berman, and Andre Watts, among others.

 William Yang began piano studies at the age of four and gave his first performances at age seven. Outside of piano, William enjoys playing table tennis.