REVIEW：Ryan Wang - Chopin with Magic

©️Ryan Wang, BBC

Crowned BBC Young Musician of the Year 2024, the exceptional 18-year-old pianist Ryan Wang offered Edinburgh audiences a flawless morning recital in the historic Queen’s Hall. His programme of Chopin was not only a testament to his prodigious technical gifts but also a perfect echo of EIF’s Focus On Poland theme this year.

The concert opened with Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28, written in the 1830s and completed in Mallorca, a collection that traverses the full emotional spectrum. Some pieces fly by in thirty seconds, while others plunge into heartbreak or demand fiendish extremes from the pianist. Wang wasted no time with words, diving directly into the music, and from the start, he carried the audience with him through the storm of shifting keys and emotions.

The fourteenth thundered with storm-like ferocity, while in the fifteenth (“Raindrop”), Wang’s control of dynamics was exquisite. His body seemed to vibrate with the falling notes before dissolving them into silence, like raindrops vanishing into the air. In the faster sixteenth prelude, he stormed across the keyboard with rolling bass and spiralling treble lines, conjuring thunder and lightning. The transition between the nineteenth and twentieth was particularly breathtaking, showing both his sensitivity and his command of momentum.

The second half brought Chopin Mazurkas, Op.59, which Wang infused with life, bounce, and subtle lyricism. Chopin’s distinctive rhythms danced and leapt under his fingers, with an attention to phrasing and legato that made each miniature sparkle. His interpretation of the Chopin Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor, Op.35 and Chopin Variations on ‘La ci darem la mano’, Op.2, was equally memorable, with natural emotional pacing, his body flowing with the music, leaning forward into emphatic accents, then rising back as melodies soared. His physicality has become a signature, mirroring the flow of the music.

What makes Wang’s performance so captivating is his uncanny ability to shift moods with magical swiftness. At one moment, the music erupts with raw force; the next, it softens into the utmost tenderness. Chopin’s melodies, under his touch, seemed transformed into spells, shimmering between power and fragility.

Three encores sealed the morning: Chopin’s Etude Op. 25 No. 11, Waltz Op. 34 No. 1, and a playful surprise: Beethoven/Uslan’s Für Elise in Ragtime. Each delighted the hall, and the final applause was thunderous, reflecting the audience’s admiration.

This was not only a brilliant recital but also the promise of a pianist destined for an extraordinary career. Ryan Wang is already a star, and his future shines dazzlingly bright.

★★★★★

For more information, please visit: https://www.eif.co.uk/events/ryan-wang