Biography Resume
Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang is 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, a grand finalist in the 2017 Cardiff Singer of the World competition
and 2nd Prize winner of the 2017 International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in
Moscow,
Russia.
During the 2018-19 season, Mr. Wang will make 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
Zauberflötefor
Opera North, and Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème at Austin Lyric Opera. He makes 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 will be 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
staying
on to perform a solo recital of song repertoire in the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky
Conservatory.
On the opera stage, he sang the role of Mitrane in Rossini’s Semiramide at the MET, where he
also covered both the role of Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor and tenor soloist in Verdi’s
Requiem.
In addition, he sang Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the London Philharmonic, as well as
Mendelssohn’s
Elijah with the San Antonio Symphony. Mr. Wang will be the tenor soloist in the world
premiere
of Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Prague Philharmonic Choir
as part of the Dresden Music Festival in Germany in May. He will also be featured in
concerts
in the Musique et Vin in Burgundy, France in June, Menlo Music Festival in California, US
and
Manchester Music Festival in Vermont, US in July.
In the 2016-2017 season, Mr. Wang appeared with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra as the
tenor soloist
in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde which began with performances in Beijing and 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. Upcoming seasons include debuts with
Opera
Australia, Welsh National Opera, Opera North and Austin Lyric Opera, as well as returns to
the
Metropolitan Opera.
Highlights of recent seasons include the MET Summer Recital Series in various New York
City parks,
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. In the 2014-15 season 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 won the 2nd prize in the Hans Gabor Belvedere
Singing Competition
in Moscow, Russia and 2nd prize in Premiere Opera International Vocal Competition in New
York.
He was also a grand finalist in the 2017 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. He has
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 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.