Ryan Wang wins BBC Young Musician 2024

Seventeen-year-old pianist Ryan Wang has been revealed as this year’s winner of BBC Young Musician. Wang, who is from the Canadian city of Vancouver and attends Eton College, Windsor on a music scholarship, impressed a judging panel composed of trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, and multi-instrumentalist and broadcaster Hannah Catherine Jones.

The competition grand final was presented by saxophonist and broadcaster Jess Gillam, herself a BBC Young Musician finalist in 2016. Having been filmed on 24 September at Bristol Beacon it was broadcast on BBC TV, iPlayer, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds on Sunday evening (20 October). Wang and fellow finalists Purcell School violinist Shlomi Shahaf (17) and Royal College of Music pianist Jacky Zhang (16) were accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Ben Gernon.

Competition judge Alison Balsom said: ‘Ryan Wang is a truly remarkable musician. He has an extremely rare ability to communicate something other-worldly – and embody the music. I don’t think even he understands quite how he does it! In the final it was abundantly clear to all of us that he was creating a kind of magic. He generously raised the game of the orchestra too, and alongside his flawless technique, he was able to reveal his soul with such honesty. We felt we were witnessing one of the great historical performances of Rach two.’

Having started playing piano at the age of four, Wang gave his first solo recital at Carnegie Hall aged five and received his artist diploma at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in May. He adds this latest accolade to a list of recent achievements including the Prix Cortot and the First Prize and audience award in the 18th Animato International Chopin Competition in February 2024.