

William in 2019 won the American Protêgé International Piano and Strings Competition and later, the American Protêgé young musicians category.

In early 2019, after 18 months of lessons, Besalyan said William was ready for competitions. Active since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and some top American orchestras. “He’s extremely intelligent,” Besalyan said of William. “That was one of the biggest reasons I took him on. Lang Lang (Chinese: pinyin: Lng Lng born 14 June 1982) is a Chinese pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in China, North America, Europe, and elsewhere. But after speaking to William in person, then hearing him play, Besalyan offered to teach William himself. But one man offered to meet with them: Georgia State University associate professor of music Raffi Besalyan, a 47-year-old piano prodigy himself when he lived in the old Soviet Union who has had an impressive music career himself.īesalyan at first suggested he could find a grad student to teach William. They emailed music professors at local universities who had piano experience. So off the parents went hunting for another teacher. Even then, it didn’t take long for her to admit that he was too good for her. She switched him to actual classical pieces. She soon realized he was excelling too quickly for beginner piano textbooks. When William was four, they finally found a woman at church willing to take William on and possessed a real passion for music. Other teachers were, as Todd said, “sketchy.” Many teachers turned them down, saying William was too young, suggesting they wait until he’s closer to seven. That was much tougher than they had anticipated. The next step was to find a piano teacher. (Steinway's were too pricey and overrated, Julie said.) And they avoided a cheaper "starter" piano, investing instead in a quality $20,000 mahogany wood German-made Schimmel. When he turned two, his parents decided to make an investment: a stand-up piano. William was instantly captivated by the white and black keys. Incredible!Īdded 1 year ago Amazing talent, this child is well on his was to fame.Īdded 1 year ago Wow!!! Amazing child, can't help but wonder how far he'll go.Todd Zhang, William's dad who runs a web design/e-commerce business with his wife Julie, was killing time at Georgia Tech one day while his wife was doing some work so he entered an empty classroom with William that happened to have a piano. He will go far!Īdded 1 year ago Absolutely amazing little boy! I struggle with playing chopsticks and this 6-year-old plays Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven. He is only six and has a lot of time in front of him to develop that talent.Īdded 1 year ago He is absolutely brilliant for his age.very well done.Īdded 1 year ago His talent is truly a gift from God!Īdded 1 year ago A special talented five year old.

He is very talented and I hope they keep making it fun for him. I do beg, however, the next time I hear him, he'll play a piece from the Romantic period, "The girl with the flaxen hair," by Debussy!Īdded 1 year ago It is wonderful and so positive. ”the world is your oyster.” I will following you with joyĪdded 1 year ago Extremely talented child.Īdded 1 year ago I adored the piece, all the more so due to how brilliantly it was played (a gene, perhaps?). He is a charmer, well mannered and has no problem talking about future possibilities. His parents are to be commended for continuously encouraging him, reaching out to others for advice as best how promote his talent. Added 1 year ago Incredibly talented…I am in awe of his accomplishments at such a young age.
