Kang Wang
Tenor
Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang is a quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young lyric tenors in the opera world. He is a former member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera and a finalist in the 2017 Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
During the 2018-19 season, Mr. Wang made his role and house debuts as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata with Welsh National Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival, Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for Opera North, and Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème at Austin Lyric Opera. He made his first appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing Tan Dun’s “Buddha Passion,” a work he premiered with the Müncher Philharmoniker as part of the Dresdner Musikfestspiele in the spring of 2018. Mr. Wang was the tenor soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with the Eugene Symphony.
In the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Wang made an exciting last-minute debut in Moscow, replacing tenor Jonas Kaufmann in a New Year’s Eve Gala performance of opera arias with orchestra, and stayed on to perform a solo recital of song repertoire in the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Estonia’s Tallinn Portrait Gallery also presented Mr. Wang in recital at Vene Teater and he sang a concert at the Musique et vin au Clos Vougeot festival in France. On the opera stage, he performed the role of Mitrane in Rossini’s Semiramide at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by Maurizio Benini, where he also covered both the role of Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor with conductor Roberto Abbado and the tenor soloist in Verdi’s Requiem under Maestro James Levine. Additional engagements included debuts in Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the London Philharmonic and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the San Antonio Symphony.
Highlights of recent seasons include performances with the Metropolitan Opera as Narraboth in a new production of Salome, First Prisoner in Beethoven’s Fidelio, as well as multiple concerts with the Summer Recital Series in various New York City parks. He has performed Elvino in La Sonnambula in a coproduction with the Lindemann Program and the Juilliard School, and a program of opera scenes conducted by James Levine. Mr. Wang debuted with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde which began with which was subsequently presented by the Kennedy Center in celebration of the Chinese New Year. He also debuted with the American Classical Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at David Geffen Hall and took part in Gala performances with the Austin Lyric Opera.
Mr. Wang made his operatic debut as Rinuccio in Queensland Conservatorium’s production of Gianni Schicchi, where he also performed the title role Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. He performed the role of Nemorino in RNCM’s production of L’elisir d’amore in December of 2013, as well as the role of Don José in La Tragedie de Carmen at the International Vocal Arts Institute-Virginia in June of 2014.
Mr. Wang was a member of the opera studio of the Theater Basel in Switzerland, performing such roles as Nathanael in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and the Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia. He has appeared as a guest soloist in over 20 concerts with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and numerous concerts with Opera Queensland.
A favorite of competitions, Mr. Wang had previously won the People’s Choice Award in the Dame Joan Sutherland National Vocal Award and performed in the final concert of the Australian Singing Competition at the Sydney Opera House as one of the five finalists. In 2016, he was a semi-finalist in the Operalia Competition in Guadalajara, Mexico, and won 2nd place as well as the “people’s choice award” of the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. He has also been a semi-finalist in the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna, Austria, a finalist in the McDonald Operatic Aria Competition and a finalist Italian Opera Foundation Australia Scholarship. Mr. Wang is the winner of the 2014 Clonter Opera Prize in the United Kingdom.
Originally from Harbin, China, Mr. Wang is the son of two renowned opera singers. He received an International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, United Kingdom, and a Master’s of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University in Australia.
Kang Wang is supported by Kay Bryan