Acclaimed for her “staggering virtuosity,” Hanzhi Wang is the only accordionist to ever win a place on the roster
of Young Concert Artists in its 63-year history. An ambassador for her instrument, Hanzhi has been praised for
her captivating stage presence and performances that display passion and finesse.
A groundbreaking artist, Hanzhi’s achievements include being named Musical America’s “New Artist of the
Month,” becoming the first solo accordionist to be featured on New York WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase, and
releasing the Naxos label’s first-ever solo accordion CD, On the Path to H.C. Andersen, which was nominated for the
prestigious DR (Danish Radio) P2 Prize in 2019.
As the First Prize Winner of the 2017 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Hanzhi made her New York
debut at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and her Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center, opening the 40th
Anniversary Young Concert Artists Series, co-presented with Washington Performing Arts. She holds the Ruth
Laredo Prize and Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists of YCA.
Hanzhi won First Prize in the 40th Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy and continues to
inspire the next generation of accordionists through lectures, performances, and masterclasses at prestigious
institutions worldwide. Composers such as Martin Lohse, James Black, and Sophia Gubaidulina have written and
dedicated works to her.
Her recent performances include recitals at UC Santa Barbara’s Lively Arts, Stanford Live, Bravo! Vail, the
Krannert Center, Caramoor, LongHouse Reserve, Market Square Concerts (Harrisburg, PA), Arizona Friends of
Chamber Music (Tucson, AZ), the Norton Center (Danville, KY), The Mansion at Strathmore, and Grand Concerts
(Tabernash, CO). As a chamber musician, she has appeared at Tanglewood and performed alongside YCA alum
Steven Banks at The Morgan Library & Museum. Hanzhi has also been featured as a soloist with orchestras such
as the Oregon Music Festival Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony, and
the Hawaii Symphony. In the 2024–25 season, she premiered a new concerto written for her by Nina Shekhar
with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as part of a commission led by Young Concert Artists and
co-commissioned by the SLO. That same season, she also debuted a new solo work composed for her by
Katherine Balch at London’s Wigmore Hall.
Regularly sought after as a collaborative artist, Hanzhi recently performed on a coast-to-coast tour with
mandolinist Avi Avital, including a performance presented by the New York Philharmonic. During the 25-26
season she will embark on another collaborative tour alongside acclaimed violinist Nicola Benedetti, making
appearances with UCSB Arts & Lectures, Seattle Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Conservatory of
Music, and University Musical Society. Additional highlights of the 25-26 season include concerto appearances
with the Fort Smith Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and the Walla Walla Symphony. She
will also appear in a special recital on the MetLiveArts Series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in The Met’s
Astor Chinese Garden Court.
Hanzhi earned her Bachelor’s degree at the China Central Conservatory of Music and completed her Master’s
degree and Soloist Diploma at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
