Biography

 

"Ethereal, held-breath delicacy." (Erica Jeal, The Guardian) 

“He articulates the canonic lines as if each emanated from its own piano: the aural equivalent of three-dimensional chess." (Jed Distler, Classics Today) 

 

Born in Hong Kong and based in Berlin, pianist Chiyan Wong has captivated listeners with his audacity, vision, and programmatic boldness, spanning a repertoire from the early Baroque to the 21st century. Gramophone Magazine praised his pianistic style and finesse as ‘”dazzling polish” and particularly commended “Wong's sincerity of purpose”. In addition to his solo concerts, Chiyan Wong is an active chamber musician. His regular chamber music partners include members of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Chiyan Wong's debut album Liszt “Transfigured: Operatic Fantasies for Piano” from 2017 already bears his distinctive artistic signature. The recording was awarded the 40th Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque by the Franz Liszt Society in Hungary. In his second album, he
combines Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations with Ferruccio Busoni's own edition of the work. In his third album, Chiyan Wong performs with the London Symphony Orchestra, combining Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with Alexander Tsafsman's Jazz Suite –
an original concept that once again demonstrates his inventive artistic approach.

 

Recent highlights include performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Elim Chan and the NCPA Orchestra with Markus Stenz. Chiyan Wong has been a frequent guest at renowned festivals, including the International Music Festival in Dinard (France), the East Neuk Festival (Scotland), the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the Festival Raritäten der Klaviermusik (Germany). Chiyan Wong gained international attention with concerts at Wigmore Hall in London, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, the Liszt Academy in Budapest, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and, most recently, the Konzerthaus in Berlin.

 

Highlights of the 2025/26 season include Chiyan Wong's solo recital and debut at the Brucknerhaus Linz, as well as Richard Strauss Burleske for piano and orchestra at the Staatstheater Meiningen. Further concerts will take him to the Festival of Piano Music Rarities at Husum Castle and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. There he will also present his latest commissioned compositions for piano and ensemble for the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Wong began his musical training in Hong Kong. At the age of twelve, he moved to England, where he first studied with Norma Fisher and later with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His compositional interests led him to study with Thomas Adès at the Prussia Cove International Musicians Seminar and to take counterpoint lessons with Naji Hakim in Paris – artistic encounters that had a lasting influence on his work. Chiyan Wong recently completed his PhD on Ferruccio Busoni at the Royal Academy of Music in London with the support of the Lee
Hysan Foundation.