Of Beijing descent, Tianwa Yang started studying the violin at the age of four soon winning six out of the seven violin competitions she entered. At the age of ten she was accepted by Professor Lin Yaoji at the Central Conservatory of Music Beijing, and by the following year media in Hong Kong described her as “A Pride Of China”. Following her performance at the 1999 Beijing Music Festival, Isaac Stern invited her to study with him in the USA. In 2000, at the age of 13, she recorded the 24 Caprices of Paganini, which makes her the youngest interpreter of this composition worldwide.
In 2001, she debuted in Europe performing the Mendelssohn’s concerto with the Czech Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in Prague. In 2003, she played Prokofiev’s concerto No. 2 in the Munich National Theatre with the orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper followed by recitals in Paris, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Vienna. In the same year Tianwa Yang was awarded a special two-year scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to study chamber music in Germany.
In 2004, she commenced her collaboration with Naxos, recording the first two volumes of the complete works of Sarasate that will become a 7 CD complete collection. Tianwa Yang was awarded the Volkswagen Foundation prize "Star of Tomorrow" by Seiji Ozawa and the “PRIX MONTBLANC 2006”. 2006 was also the year of the first of her live concert broadcasts – at the Montpellier Festival by Radio France and at the Schwetzingen Festival by the SWR, Stuttgart. In 2007, she was invited to perform at the Naxos 20 Year Anniversary concert at Wigmore Hall in London.
During her 2007/2008 season, Tianwa Yang gave her North-American debut as part of the Virginia Arts Festival with the Virginia Symphony in addition to her debut at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall which was broadcast live by Deutschland Radio. She offered recitals in Switherland and France, and enjoyed an extensive tour of Germany with „Klassische Philharmonie Bonn“ performing the Tchaikovsky Concerto that took her to Berlin, Hamburg, Bonn, Stuttgart, Munich, Hannover, Nuremberg, Karlsruhe and Wiesbaden.
Highlights in her upcoming seasons include debuts with the Seattle Symphony, Nashville Symphony and Eastern Music Festival in N America; debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK; a second tour of Germany with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, further concerts with the Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz, Warsaw Philharmonic, and at the Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival. She will expand her discography with further albums for Naxos.
Tianwa Yang currently works with esteemed artists Joerg-Wolfgang Jahn and Rainer Kussmaul, for Baroque music with Anner Bylsma.
Discography
Pablo de Sarasate Vol.1
Spanish Dances: Serenata Andaluza; Balada, a.o.
Tianwa Yang (Violin); Markus Hadulla (Piano)
Label: Naxos- 8.557767
Pablo de Sarasate Vol.2
Concert Fantasies
La forza del destino, Zampa, Martha
Tianwa Yang (Violin); Markus Hadulla (Piano)
Label: Naxos- 8.570192
N e w
Pablo de Sarasate
Music for Violin and Orchestra 1
Zigeunerweisen
Airs espagnols
Viva Sevilla!
Tianwa Yang, Violin
Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra
Ernest Martinez Izquierdo
Label: Naxos- 8.572191
N e w
Antonio Vivaldi / Astor Piazzolla
Acht Jahreszeiten
Tianwa Yang (Violine); Ensemble Tianwa Yang
Label: Naxos- 8.551228
Yang Tianwa 13-years-old plays
Paganini 24 Caprices
Nicolò Paganini: 24 Caprices Op.1
Label: Hugo classical HRP 7225-2
Carl-Flesch-Akademy -
9th Lions Club Prize-Winner's Concert 2006
Max Bruch: violin concerto G minor, Op.26.
Tianwa Yang, Violin (Bruch)
Baden-Badener Philharmony,
Conductor: Werner Stiefel
Label: Bella Musica BM 31.2416