Art of Piano: Participant Showcases 3

Engaging audiences with his charismatic and moving performances, pianist Aaron Kurz enjoys a burgeoning career. Aaron has soloed with numerous orchestras and across three continents, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Salle Cortot, and the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Astana, Kazakhstan. His performances have been lauded by the press, called both “nuanced musical journeys” (Belgium’s "Le Soir") and “a lesson in pianism” (England’s "Cambridge Independent"). Most recently, Aaron has just completed a tour of Asia, where he performed and taught at numerous venues across China and Indonesia.

Aaron’s playing has also garnered recognition in competitions, winning top prizes in the New York, Los Angeles, Virginia Waring, and World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competitions, among others. Aaron holds recent degrees from SFCM (studying with Jon Nakamatsu and Jeremy Denk) and Yale (with Boris Berman), and he is now pursuing his DMA at the University of Texas with Anton Nel. He is also a teacher himself, maintaining a large group of private students in Austin. In his spare time, Aaron loves watching sports, reading, and spending time with his friends and fiancée, Vivian.

Aaron Kurz was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.

Praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for his “fiery performance” and “virtuosity in full display,” Ranfei Wang is the third musician from Canada to be designated a Young Steinway Artist. He holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he has studied with Gabriel Chodos and Vivian Weilerstein. Ranfei has also studied with Susan Starr, Dr. Craig Sheppard, and Dr. Robert Silverman.

Ranfei has been the winner of international music competitions, such as the first prize winner of the International Keyboard Odyssiad Competition and Olga Kern Special Award, first prize winner of the GOCAA International Piano and Strings Competition and Signatory Young Artist award, second prize winner of the Canadian Music Competition, and second prize winner of the Pan-Pacific International Piano Competition and Yamaha Grand Prize. In 2023, Ranfei won the New England Conservatory’s Piano Honors Competition.

Ranfei Wang has performed at concert halls in Canada, the United States, and Europe including Carnegie Hall and the Vancouver Orpheum. Ranfei has performed extensively with symphony orchestras, including Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicolas with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, and is a regular guest at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Prelude concert series.

Ranfei Wang was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.

Dubbed by Singapore music reviewer Dr. Chang Tou Liang as having "a beautiful touch and an instinctive feel for the ebb and flow of the music that is admirable," Malaysian pianist Sean Gan has established himself as a dedicated and probing musician. In his pursuit of artistic excellence, he is enrolled in the MM degree program at The Juilliard School in New York studying with Mr. Hung Kuan Chen. He also studied under Prof. Albert Tiu during his undergraduate studies at the YST Conservatory. Under the esteemed and illuminating guidance of his mentors, Sean accentuates the complex interactions between the value of art and its creators through imaginative programming and diversified repertoire.

A versatile and enthusiastic performer, his passion lies in both the realms of the soloistic and collaborative. As a soloist, his achievements include joint first prize in the Artist Category of the 2021 National Piano & Violin Competition in Singapore. The piano duo setting is one of his favorite mediums for collaboration; as a sustained team with pianist Lyu-Yan Kuo, they achieved First Prize in the Senior Division of the 2022 7th North-West International Piano Ensemble Competition. His participation in Juilliard’s 2023 and 2024 Chamberfests also testify his evolving passion for chamber music. Performing in works involving larger forces, he recently performed as second pianist in Pierre Boulez’s demanding sur Incises under the baton of David Robertson and Susanna Mälkki.

Sean Gan was generously supported by the George Brough Memorial Endowment.