Meet the Students: Zhu Wang

Zhu Wang, from Hunan Province, China, entered Curtis in 2020. A pianist, he studies with Robert McDonald. Zhu holds a bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School, and has performed at venues all over the world, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Chamber Music Hall of Berlin’s Philharmonie, Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, and the Morgan Library. Here he shares what he looks forward to most when he finally reaches Philadelphia.

What has been your most important musical experience until now?

I performed Schubert’s E-Flat Major piano trio during the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival back in the summer of 2018. It was meaningful because that was the first time I got to dive into the magical world of chamber music seriously with wonderful friends and musicians. We were very lucky to be working with Laurie Smukler and Robert McDonald—I am very excited to continue working with him at Curtis!

What was your favorite part of Curtis’s online New Student Orientation?

I enjoyed the library’s virtual tour very much! The archives of Curtis history are enriching and inspiring to see. I will visit them for sure when I am back on campus.

What are you looking forward to most about attending Curtis?

I am most looking forward to living in beautiful Philadelphia. After living in New York City for four years and Shanghai for seven years, I want to get away from a crowded metropolitan area. Philly is a perfect city in my opinion.

Where will you be learning during the fall semester?

In Rochester, New York.

How have you made the shift to online learning?

Because classes are online now, I am very interested in all kinds of equipment that will improve my virtual learning experiences. And as I invested in microphones and audio interfaces, I have gotten more and more into the music production field.