“Staggering virtuosity that held the audience in a state of breathlessness, as thrilling to watch as to hear.” 

Oberon’s Grove (NY)

 

Hanzhi Wang returns to Baruch PAC for a second recital following her debut here in 2024, when her artistry and technique dazzled an audience which had never before heard the classical repertoire played on the accordion, let alone the staggeringly complex button accordion she has mastered. She will be the first artist to appear with us twice since our return from the pandemic shutdown, a testament to her unique skill and appeal.

 

Hanzhi Wang is the only accordionist to ever win a place on the roster of Young Concert Artists in its 63-year history. An ambassador for her instrument, Hanzhi has been praised for her captivating stage presence and performances that display passion and finesse. A groundbreaking artist, Hanzhi’s achievements include being named Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month,” becoming the first solo accordionist to be featured on New York WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase, and releasing the Naxos label’s first-ever solo accordion CD, On the Path to H.C. Andersen, which was nominated for the prestigious DR (Danish Radio) P2 Prize in 2019. As the First Prize Winner of the 2017 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Hanzhi made her New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and her Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center, opening the 40th Anniversary Young Concert Artists Series, co-presented with Washington Performing Arts. She holds the Ruth Laredo Prize and Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists of YCA. Hanzhi won First Prize in the 40th Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy and continues to inspire the next generation of accordionists through lectures, performances, and masterclasses at prestigious institutions worldwide. Composers such as Martin Lohse, James Black, and Sophia Gubaidulina have written and dedicated works to her. Her recent performances include recitals at UC Santa Barbara’s Lively Arts, Stanford Live, Bravo! Vail, and the Krannert Center. As a chamber musician, she has performed at Tanglewood, and with YCA alum Steven Banks at The Morgan Library & Museum. Hanzhi has also appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Oregon Music Festival Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony, and the Hawaii Symphony. In the 23-24 season, she performed on a coast-to-coast tour with mandolinist Avi Avital, including a performance presented by the New York Philharmonic. This upcoming season, Hanzhi will perform at Caramoor, LongHouse Reserve, Market Square Concerts (Harrisburg, PA), Arizona Friends of Chamber Music (Tucson, AZ), Norton Center (Danville, KY), The Mansion at Strathmore, and Grand Concerts (Tabernash, CO). Hanzhi will debut a new work by Nina Shekhar in a commission led by YCA which is set to premiere with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and will premiere a new work written for her by Katherine Balch at London’s Wigmore Hall. Hanzhi earned her Bachelor’s degree at the China Central Conservatory of Music and completed her Master’s degree and Soloist Diploma at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.