Lucas Wong
Research Area
Education
BMus, University of British Columbia
MM, Yale University
MMA, Yale University
DMA, Yale University
About
Pianist Lucas Wong, whose life encompasses “careers of at least two or three people,” shares his “brilliant and sensitive” playing (Fanfare) and “gifts for colour, nuance, and tasteful dynamic contrasts” (Gramophone) with audiences in solo and chamber recitals, as well as opera performances. With over 20 years of proven excellence across 4 continents and 12 countries in performance, masterclass teaching, and adjudication, he specializes in French music, collaborative piano, and voice coaching. Dr. Wong is currently a Business Development Lead at The Royal Conservatory in Canada.
Dr. Wong’s performances have graced renowned organizations such as Carnegie Hall, New York City Opera, The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Banff Centre, Music Academy of the West, and Songfest in LA. He has collaborated with esteemed artists including Joseph Alessi, Soovin Kim, Frank Morelli, Suzanne Mentzer, Simone Osborne, Edward Parks III, David Shifrin, Lee-Chin Siow, and Guang Yang. Solo recitals have taken him to major venues worldwide, including the Grand Hall at the University of Hong Kong and The Cobbe Collection in the U.K.
In addition to performing, Dr. Wong has served on the adjudication panel of piano competitions, including the Texas Music Teacher Association State Performance Competitions, Hong Kong Schools Music & Speech Association, Pacific Rim International Music Festival, Stony Brook International Piano Festival & Competition, the University of Florida International Piano Festival, Asia Piano Competition, and the UCSI International Piano Festival & Competition. As an active pedagogue, he has presented at the Music Teachers National Association, International Piano Professionals Association, and the Worldwide Music Conference. He has been invited to guest lecture and give masterclasses at Peking University, Seoul National University, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and The Juilliard School.
Dr. Wong’s performances have been featured on CBC Radio (Canada), PBS (North Carolina/US), and RTHK Radio (Hong Kong). Notable media coverage includes a Fazioli Fourth Pedal video that attracted over 50K viewers. His CD releases include the world premiere recording of the 8 preludes from L’art de toucher le clavecin on a modern piano on Rediscovering Couperin & Rameau (Centaur), transcriptions of French sonatas and melodies for double bass and piano on Ma Chèrie Contrebasse (Centaur), and Jake Heggie’s world premiere Under the Blessing of Your Psyche Wings (The Opera America Songbook).
As a multifaceted musician, Dr. Wong transcribes and publishes music for solo piano as well as works for 16 pianists. As an educator, he offers innovative resources, such as the recent essay “The Multifunctional Pianist: The Recipe for Orchestral Color and Playing” in the NATS Journal of Singing. He is the author of “The Multi-Functional Pianist” — a four-chapter curriculum designed to strengthen pianists’ awareness of improvisational, fundamental, and piano reduction skills. He also shares insights on “Humour in Late Debussy” in The Musical Times.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Wong received his Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia (UBC), followed by both his Master’s and Doctorate of Music degrees from the Yale University School of Music. He has studied under distinguished teachers such as Boris Berman, Tak Poon, Edward Parker, Robert Silverman, and Warren Jones. As the Artistic Director of Liederfest of Suzhou, Dr. Wong introduced pianist and singers to art songs in multiple languages, including Chinese. He was also a founding member of the piano faculty at Soochow University School of Music, where he coordinated the chamber music and collaborative piano programs. Prior to joining UBC’s piano faculty, he served as a Visiting Professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Dr. Wong resides in Vancouver with his wife, Joyce, a pianist and cellist. In his free time, he enjoys working on app development for the App Store. Dr. Wong is a Fazioli and Naxos Artist.