In her Boston apartment, Wang Zitong hangs a photograph of Carnegie Hall. Standing before it, the pianist can visualize what it feels like to play on that mighty stage. For her Chinese mainland tour from April 24 to June 6, she practices under that photo, on a restored Steinway Model O piano built in the 1940s. On a chest of drawers nearby, Wang keeps her Curtis graduation photo and a concert poster signed by her current professor Dang Thai Son at Boston's New England Conservatory. There is also an artwork painted by her father, decorative lights created by her mother, and two friendly cats — Oreo and Ollie, who sometimes cuddle next to her.
As a concert pianist often spending days on tour, Wang has nurtured a spiritual attachment to these homely items. However, the medals she has won are conspicuous by their absence, notably the one from the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in October, so far her career highlight.
"My mom keeps them," giggles Wang, sitting comfortably on the floor, with her back against the couch.
With unique musicality, the 27-year-old pianist has become a sensation after claiming third prize and the Krystian Zimerman Award for Best Performance of a Sonata in the prestigious arena. Now, she is booked for around 60 concerts a year.
In March, she opened Xi'an Symphony Orchestra's new music season, collaborating with the orchestra and its music director Zhang Guoyong. Starting in April, recitals and concerts were scheduled for Changsha, Chengdu, Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen; then, more engagements in Poland, Japan, France and Brazil. In September, Wang will make her debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 in C Major and Chopin's Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante in E-flat Major.
Despite incoming engagements, the pianist says she is not in a rush to exploit anything. Instead, it is her authenticity that she is eager to explore. She feels "the impulse" has grown stronger after some recent events.
In February, Wang was in Japan for the Chopin Competition gala tour, a much-anticipated series of concerts held at some of Asia's most prestigious venues in Japan and South Korea. Wang shared the stage with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Piano maestro Krystian Zimerman, who enjoys spending his time in Japan, appeared at one concert unannounced, humbling the young stars.
The tour went like clockwork in Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul, except that Wang noticed a subtle prick in her left wrist. When the pain began to affect her turning and flipping, it occurred to Wang that she must have suffered a bizarre injury while dragging her overweight luggage.
The doctor prescribed a hiatus. Postponements of upcoming recitals were imminent. The contracts and rescheduling turned out to be meticulous and stressful. By the time Wang and her agent "Igor" Zheng Jian sorted everything out, both felt burned out.
Then, the epiphany came.
"The stress really pushes me to reevaluate what truly motivates me to play. To play just to maximize an opportunity? That doesn't really convince me. I know I need to find an honest motivation for a long-lasting career," she says.
