I believe in the power of listening. Of sincerity. Of connection. The power of sharing attention, feeling, and understanding. Art allows me to advocate for that power.

I’ve seen to the ability of art, artists, and arts initiatives to create jobs and save lives, to empower individuals or entire marginalized and underprivileged populations, to perform small to monumental miracles of communication. Art is a powerful voice that can engage in difficult conversations, controversial debates, and express important messages during periods of divide and hardship. It can reach across time, languages, borders, and cultures to connect people and kindle a shared understanding. As Bernstein said, “Art can affect people so that they are changed – enriched, ennobled, encouraged – then they act in a way that may affect the course of events by the way they vote, behave, and think." 

Music can offer such simple yet profound gifts – a memory, a will, a feeling of peace or joy or passion or anguish, a moment of awe, curiosity, magic, of noticing, of understanding, of being understood, or just any feeling that allows us to be in touch with ourselves, with each other, and with the world around us. Those are the gifts I wish to share with as many individuals as I can reach. Sincere intentions and emotions will carry through. They will reach someone.

Short Biography

Tong Wang is a Canadian pianist recognized for her innovative contributions to performance, research, and community engagement. Her work investigates the intersection of art with identity, culture, and contemporary issues. Tong’s performance highlights include collaborations with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles throughout North America and Europe. A versatile artist, she has spearheaded the creation of a new horror anime opera “Labyrinth of Tears” alongside research into the aesthetics of "cuteness" in music, supported by the Canada Council, FRQSC, and SSHRC doctoral grants. Tong’s recent projects have explored multiculturalism, diaspora identity, and climate issues, including her solo tour “我们Us” in Lunenburg, Montreal, Basel, Verbier, and her tour with DoSi, “Homecoming”, “Wanting to Start Again”, and “Dark Tales” across Canada, US, and eastern Europe. In 2022, she co-founded the Windwood Music Festival in Airdrie, Alberta to bring classical chamber music to rural communities. In the past seasons, she performed with Barbara Hannigan, Lyrica Baroque, Xenia Concerts, and toured with the Wang-Dietz duo in China. In the upcoming seasons, Tong will be touring solo recitals with Debut Atlantic (2025/26) and Prairie Debut (2026/27). Tong is a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the Schulich School of Music. She continues to embark on solo and chamber tours across North America, Europe, and Asia, showcasing her dedication to fostering global connections through art. 

Full Biography

Tong Wang is a Canadian artist engaging in a variety of projects across areas of performance, research, education, community engagement, interdisciplinary arts, cultural advocacy for marginalized groups, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. She aims to realize the potential within our community when people from different backgrounds and worldviews come together to collaborate and build meaningful connections.

As a concert pianist, Wang has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (2010), the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (2012, 2018, 2020), and artists/ensembles throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Her awards including the International Chopin Golden Ring Competition (2010), Canadian Music Competition (2010), Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal of Performing Arts (2012), Winspear Foundation Scholarship (2012-2015), Alberta Foundation of the Arts Individual Musicianship Grant (2013-2016, 2025), New England Conservatory George Chadwick Medal (2016), Alberta Arts Graduate Scholarship (2018), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Graduate Scholarship (2019), Canada Council for the Arts Grants (2021-2025), Sir James Lougheed Doctoral Award of Distinction (2022), La Napoule Art Foundation Canadian Artist Residency (2022), Fonds de Recherche du Québec Société et Culture Doctoral Grant (2021-2022), Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Grant (2024-2025), The Hnatyshyn Foundation Launch Grant (2025), and the Canada Doctoral Scholarship (2022-2025).

Wang have given recitals at venues such as Weill Hall in New York (2013), Jordan Hall and Symphony Hall in Boston (2012-2016), Salle Bourgie (2018), Bon Pasteur (2020), Pollack Hall and Redpath Hall (2017-2025) in Montreal, Orpheus Instituut in Gent, Belgium (2021),  Taratata in Verbier, Switzerland (2022), Château de la Napoule, France (2022), Podium Vocale in Den Haag, Netherlands (2023), Southminister United Church in Ottawa (2023), Central European University in Budapest, Hungary (2023, 2024), Gheorghe Dima National Music Academy and Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2024), Meridian Hall in Toronto (2024), New Marigny Theatre in New Orleans (2024), Russian Cultural Center in Houston (2024), and The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Beijing Central Conservatory (2025).

Throughout her career, Wang has regularly presented community engagement concerts at schools, libraries, galleries, cafes, breweries, farms, senior homes, and hospitals. Since 2012, she has been involved with various social and entrepreneurial initiatives including the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Music for Food, New England Conservatory’s Community Partnerships and Performances Program, and In Concert for Cambodia. As a Lincoln Center Stage artist from 2016-2019, she performed educational chamber music concerts featuring a diverse range of genres onboard Holland America Line. In 2019, as a part of the leadership for the Montreal Musicians Collective, she supported the expansion of a year-round concert series to promote works by queer, underrepresented, and marginalized composers.

In 2016 and 2017, as Executive Director of the artist collective, “Zenkora Studios”, she led artists across the US and Canada to produce multimedia orchestra concerts that illustrate the stories of an original fantasy universe. The concert in Calgary, “Zenkora: The Seven Eras” brought together collaborations with the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, Alberta Ballet, University of Calgary School of Drama, and international composers, soloists, and visual artists. Our stage-play explored LGBTQ themes, and our new orchestral commission featured traditional African instruments along with Beijing opera

Throughout her career, Wang have actively explored the role of the arts in relation to identity, culture, and current social-political issues. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she presented a violin-piano concert, “Song of Praise” that spoke up against anti-Asian racism and explored the complex identities of Chinese Canadian immigrant musicians. Wang also toured a solo recital celebrating heritages and stories from across China, India, Turkey, Ukraine, and Africa, “我们Us” in Lunenburg, Montreal, Basel, and presented the interactive concerts “We’re Not Really Strangers” and “My Neighbours Totoro and Claude!” at the Verbier Festival. Other festival engagements include the Siena Music Festival, Rome Music Festival, Mendelssohn Academy, Holland Music Sessions, Brevard Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Orford Musique, and PianoFest in the Hamptons.

Also in 2021, as a cohort of the Global Leaders Program, Wang’s capstone team designed the project “Music Therapist Next” and partnered with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA to identify qualified recent graduates for placement at health organizations. Within the first 6 months, their project created 3 permanent full-time positions for music therapists at local hospitals.

Wang’s doctoral research on “cuteness” as an aesthetic in animation, kawaii metal, lo-fi, and classical music won grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Fonds de Recherche du Québec, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. This research-performance project has commissioned new solo piano works as well as a new horror anime opera, “Labyrinth of Tears”, which has been partially produced by Allegra Chamber Ensemble in Vancouver.

In 2022, Wang co-founded the Windwood Music Festival in Airdrie, Alberta to engage with rural communities through classical chamber music. The chamber music series presents adaptive, inclusive, and accessible music events that engage local audiences by listening to their needs, stories, and perspectives. Windwood have also partnered with Xenia Concerts and Airdrie Abilities Center to curate programs especially designed for neurodivergent and autistic populations.

Along the same vision, Wang’s violin-piano duo, DoSi (previously Duo Perdendosi), has presented a variety of projects that explore cultural and social-political subjects. In 2023, their tour was centred on the issues of ‘home’ for diaspora Asian-American populations. In 2024, they were funded by the Canada Council to tour in eastern Europe a program that showcases the work of contemporary Canadian-Chinese and Sri Lankan composers. In 2024, DoSi collaborated with Barbara Hannigan and the Verona Quartet in Lunenburg, Lyrica Baroque in Louisiana, TO Live, One Health Partners Therapy Dogs, Alzheimer Society of Toronto, and performed two inclusive intergenerational concerts at the Meridian Arts Center.

Most recently in 2025, Wang performed a cello-piano tour featuring Canadian Chinese composer Alice Ho’s “Four Impressions of China” in Hong Kong and Beijing. In the 2025-26 season, she will be touring her solo recital Towards the Flame with Debut Atlantic, and in 2026-27, My Big Prairie Sky with Prairie Debut. 

Debut Atlantic Tour. Solo recital tour. Presented by Debut Atlantic. 2026

China Tour. Cello-violin tour with David Dietz. Featuring Alice Ho’s “Four Impressions of China.” Presented by the Hong Kong University and Central Conservatory of Music Beijing. Hongkong, Beijing, Harbin, China, 2025.

“Towards the Flame.” Solo-recital tour. Works by Scriabin, Chopin, Stravinsky, and a new commission by Alice Ho, “A Manic Ride Through Lollipop Hell”. Houston, Ottawa, Montreal, 2024.

“Multicultural Sounds of Louisiana.” Duo Perdendosi. Presented by Lyrica Baroque. New Orleans, 2024.

“Adaptive Concerts". Duo Perdendosi. Presented by Xenia Concerts. Meridian Hall, Toronto, 2024.

“EQ Gala.” Duo Perdendosi with Barbara Hannigan, Verona Quartet. Lunenburg Academy of Music, 2024.

“Dark Tales” Tour. Violin-piano tour by Duo Perdendosi. An immersive fairy tale experience combining the arts of written, visual, and musical storytelling. Funded by the Canada Council. Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, 2024.

“Resonance of Remembrance.” Guest artists with members of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra. A Remembrance Day event presented by the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery featuring Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. Red Deer, 2023.

“Rhapsodie Universelle." Collaborative concert celebrating Hungarian music and Canadian multiculturalism. Presented by Foundation Kin, Montreal and Southminister United Church, Ottawa, 2023.

“Da Capo” Tour. Violin-piano tour by Duo Perdendosi. Musical storytelling program on the issues of ‘homecoming’ for Asian Diaspora populations. Featuring works by Ho, Ramnath, Baker, Kats-Chernin, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, New York, Boston, Washington DC, and North Carolina, 2023.

“我们 ‘Us’” Album Tour. Solo piano recital program celebrating traditional cultural heritages and unraveling social issues across the world from China and India to Turkey, Ukraine, and Africa. Musikschule Arlesheim, Basel, Switzerland, and Central European University, Budapest, Hungary, 2023.

“Four Impressions of China.” Cello-piano duo program featuring new commission by Alice Ho, funded by the Canada Council. Podium Vocale in Den Haag, Netherlands, Cedar House, Montreal, 2023.

“Once Upon a Time in La Napoule”. Solo piano recital and storytelling program in collaboration with La Napoule Art Foundation. Clews Center for the Arts, Château de la Napoule, 2022.

“Fantasy and Memory”. Solo piano recital program featuring works by Scriabin, Dvorak, and incorporate poetry readings and audience co-creation of a fairy-tale. Lunenburg Academy, 2022.

Windwood Music Festival. Chamber music concerts as part of the pilot Windwood Music Festival in rural Airdrie, AB, 2022-23.

“我们 ‘Us’”. Ibid. Lunenburg Academy, Verbier Festival, and McGill University, 2022.

“We’re Not Really Strangers”. Solo piano recital program inspired by role-playing boardgames. Featuring works by contemporary composers. Verbier Festival, 2022.

“My Neighbours Totoro and Claude!” Creative musical storytelling piano four-hands concert featuring works by Hisaishi, Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré. Verbier Festival, 2022.

“Cuteness Speaks up to Cynicism.” Lecture recital featuring works by Joe Hisaishi for Studio Ghibli. Montreal, Tanna Hall, 2022.

“Once Upon a Pumpkin: A Musical Fairy Tale.” Interactive multimedia piano recital and live concert album; works by Mozart, Prokofiev, Liszt, and Wild. Montreal, Redpath Hall, 2021.

“Declassifying Beethoven.” Historical performance on reconstructed Broadwood fortepiano with Beethoven’s ‘Hearing Machine’; Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.110. Presented by Orpheus Instituut. Gent, Belgium, 2021.

“Duo Incarnadine.” Cello-piano duo concerts; works by Bloch, De Falla, and Fazil Say. Presented by FIMU. Belfort, International University Music Festival, 2021.

“Ghiblilane.” Piano duo concert; works by Hisaishi/Chu, Chopin, and Liszt. Presented by UTAU2. Montreal, Kin Experience, 2021.

“Song of Praise.” Violin-piano duo concert tour exploring Chinese immigrant issues; traditional folk pieces and contemporary works by Chinese-Canadian composers Alice Ho and Vivian Fung. TAG Duo. Lunenburg Academy, 2020.

“Quintessentially Schubert.” Schubert Trout Quintet in A Major, D.667. Red Deer Symphony Orchestra. Lacombe: Burman University, 2020:

“Ludwig in Lunenburg.” Performances of Beethoven Piano Sonata, Violin Sonatas, and Piano Trios. Lunenburg: Lunenburg Academy of Music, 2020.

Heritage Concert Series. Performances with Montreal Musicians Collective; works by female, LGBTQ, and marginalized composers such as Henriëtte Bosmans and Louise Farrenc. Montreal: Westmount United Church, 2019-20.

Lincoln Center Stage. Piano quintet concerts; works by Brahms, Dvorak, Schumann, arrangements of crossover genres, and new commissions. Lincoln Center and RWS Entertainment. Holland America Line, 2016-19.

Musical Chairs Chamber Music Festival. Performance of Amy Beach Piano Quintet. Montreal: Chapelle Bon-Pasteur, 2020.

“Poème d’Extase.” Solo recital; works by Mozart, Chopin, Prokofiev, and Scriabin. Montreal: Pollack Hall, 2019. 

“Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3.” Season Finale Concert with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra and conductor Claude Lapalme. Red Deer: College Art Center, 2018. 

Z4 Quartet. Piano quartet residency and concert. Beijing: Central Conservatory, 2018.  

“Gala Concert.” Recital presented by American Protégé Concerto Competition. New York: Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, 2013.

“Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1.” Season Opening Concert with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra and conductor Claude Lapalme. Red Deer: College Art Center, 2012. 

“Liszt Piano Concerto No.1.” Performance with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and conductor Alexei Kornienko. Presented by the Canadian Music Competition. Edmonton: Convocation Hall, 2010.

Performances at summer music festivals. Lucca: Virtuoso & Belcanto; Orford: Orford Musique; New York: PianoFest; Lübeck: Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival; Aspen: Aspen Music Festival; Leipzig: Mendelssohn-Hochschule; Bergen: Holland Music Sessions; Rome: Rome Music Festival; Siena: Siena Music Festival; Brevard: Brevard Music Festival, 2012-present. 

“Four Cities.” Fieldwork research in Turkey and China to record, perform, and make a documentary film of a composition by Fazil Say and a new commission from Alice Ho. Canada Council for the Arts, 2023.

“Labyrinth of Tears.” Creator, producer, and librettist for original operetta and triple piano concerto commission, Canada Council for the Arts, 2021-23.

“The Twofold Power of Cuteness in Kawaii Metal, Lo-Fi, and Classical Music.” Doctoral dissertation, McGill University, Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et Culture, 2020-25.

“E-mote.” Publication of photo-narrative essay by Carte Blanche in Issue 39, “Anxiety”, 2020.

“The [blank] Journal.” Interactive sound novel in collaboration with Zenkora Studios, 2020.

“Cuteness Speaks up to Cynicism.” Master thesis on Joe Hisaishi’s music for Studio Ghibli’s animations. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2018.

“Zenkora: The Seven Eras.” Executive Director of multimedia orchestra concert; new works of music, drama, dance, poetry, animation, and visual art. Calgary: University Theater, 2017.

“Zenkora: A Brief History.” Executive Producer of inaugural interdisciplinary concert for Zenkora Studios. Boston: Brown Hall, 2016.

“Unconservatory.” Creating an interdepartmental concert exploring unconventional themes and presentational methods. Boston: Brown Hall, 2014.

WINDWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL, CO-FOUNDER, AIRDRIE, 2022 - CURRENT

Creating and directing an annual community-centered music festival in rural Alberta; presenting free and accessible classical chamber music concerts for the local audience in creative and unconventional ways.

MCGILL UNIVERSITY, INSTRUCTOR, GRADUATE TEACHING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANT, MONTREAL, 2019 - CURRENT

Teach individual piano performance lessons; lead lectures for undergraduate course “Music as a Profession” and graduate seminar “Piano Chamber Music Skills”; teach entrepreneurial musicianship skills and ensemble performance skills, assist guest speakers, and grade assignments.

MCGILL UNIVERSITY, TEACHING AND LEARNING SERVICES SUPPORT SPECIALIST, MONTREAL, 2022 - CURRENT

Provide support for learning technology projects, investigate and set up technology, document processes and templates for Confluence, answer questions from instructors.

LINCOLN CENTER STAGE, RESIDENT ARTIST, NEW YORK CITY, 2016 – CURRENT

Perform piano quintet programs across various musical genres and advocate for classical music education.

ZENKORA STUDIOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CALGARY, 2015 – CURRENT

Create and produce multimedia concerts through commissioning new artistic projects in diverse art fields and mediums; direct administrative tasks such as budgeting, fundraising, grant writing, beneficiary relations, and marketing.

MCGILL UNIVERSITY, REMOTE LEARNING ASSISTANT, MONTREAL, 2020 - CURRENT

Provide technical support to faculty members to adapt academic course material for remote delivery, including course mechanics, course content, and using relevant learning management systems technology.

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY, TEACHING ASSISTANT, BOSTON, 2013 – 2016

Teach keyboard harmony group classes, mark assignments, conduct exams, and tutor undergraduate music theory.

POINT COUNTERPOINT CHAMBER MUSIC, ASSISTANT FACULTY, LAKE DUNMORE, 2015

Provide individual lessons and assist students with daily practicing; accompany the chorus and prepare students for the final concert; perform in the final faculty concert.

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY, LIBERAL ARTS DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT, BOSTON, 2013 – 2016

Manage administrative tasks and coordinate special events including the annual Course Fair, Creative Arts Festival, Poetry Reading; oversee publication of the course catalog, the poetry chapbook, and the academic journal “Hear Here!”

MUSIC FOR FOOD, MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN, BOSTON, 2013 – 2014

Manage and update website and social media pages; document audio-visual materials from concerts.

BOSTON MODERN ORCHESTRA PROJECT, ADMINISTRATION INTERN, BOSTON, 2013

Support administrative work, prepare and organize scores with music librarian, and assist marketing and concert advertising.

CAESAR’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC, PIANO INSTRUCTOR, EDMONTON, 2008 – 2012

Teach private lessons; prepare students for recitals, competitions, and Royal Conservatory of Music Exams

2022 – 2025 | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Scholarship

2021 – 2025 | Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et Culture Doctoral Grant

2022 | Canada Council for the Arts “Concept to Realization” Grant

2022 | Sir James Lougheed Doctoral Award of Distinction

2021 | Canada Council for the Arts “Research to Creation” Grant

2020 | Nordic Strings Academy International Music Competition “China Concert Tours” Winner

2019 – 2023 | Schulich School of Music Graduate Excellence Fellowship

2019 | Post Graduate Students’ Society Residency Award

2019 | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship

2018 | Alberta Arts Graduate Scholarship

2018 | Mildred Largie Award and Graduate Excellence Fellowship

2017 | McGill Chamber Music Competition Winner

2016 | New England Conservatory George Chadwick Medal

2016 | New England Conservatory Entrepreneurial Musicianship Grant

2013 – 2016 | Alberta Foundation of the Arts Individual Musicianship Grant

2012 – 2015 | Winspear Foundation Scholarship

2011 – 2015 | Ranald and Vera Shean Memorial Scholarship

2014 | National Mondavi Young Artists Competition Finalist

2013 | Susan L. Tajra Music Scholarship

2013 | New England Conservatory Beneficent Society Scholarship

2013 | American Protégé International Concerto Competition First Prize Winner

2012 | Queen’s Golden Jubilee Scholarship for Performing Arts

2012 | Brevard Music Center Zimmerli Piano Competition Second Prize Winner

2011 | Northern Alberta Concerto Competition First Prize Winner

2011 | Alberta Music Festival Concerto Competition First Prize Winner

2011 | Vera Shean 100th Anniversary Scholarship

2010 | 6th International Chopin Golden Ring Competition Third Prize Winner

2010 | Canadian Music Competition Second Prize Winner

Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC

2020 – 2025 | Doctor of Music in Performance

2019 – 2020 | Graduate Diploma in Performance 


2017 – 2019 | Master of Music in Piano Performance

Global Leaders Program

2021 | Executive Graduate Certificate

New England Conservatory, Boston, MA

2012 – 2016 | Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance

Private Teachers

2017 – 2023 | Kyoko Hashimoto

2012 – 2016 | Bruce Brubaker

2007 – 2012 | Boris Konovalov

Summer Festivals and Institutes

2022| Verbier Festival: Creative Project Development Residency

2021 | Virtuoso & Belcanto Festival: Boris Berman, Till Fellner, Yejin Gil

2021 | Orpheus Institute: Beethoven Academy

2019 | Orford Musique: André Laplante, Ronan O’Hora, Anton Nel

2019 | PianoFest in the Hamptons: Paul Schenly, Alexander Korsantia

2018| Lunenburg Academy: Mark Fewer, Walter Delahunt, Adrian Brendel

2016 | Schleswig-Holstein: Andrzej Jasinski,

2016 | Aspen Music Festival: Rita Sloan, Hung-Kuan Chen

2014 | International Mendelssohn Academy: Pavel Gililov, Jacques Rouvier

2014 | Holland Music Sessions: Boris Berman

2013 | Siena Music Festival: Rita Sloan

2012 | Brevard Music Festival: Norman Krieger