Sophomore Charlotte Wong and her favorite composer Franz Liszt share more than a birthday in common. Both also share a love and passion for music, especially the piano.
Over winter break, Wong was presented with the opportunity to perform at Louise M. Davies Hall, a prestigious concert hall in the heart of San Francisco. Michael Roszt, director of pre-college pianists at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, had reached out to Wong’s mother with the offer.
“It was a fun and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” the sophomore Wong said. “I immediately said yes, but I felt really scared … I had never performed in front of thousands of people before. My hands were really sweaty … backstage. After, I felt really great. I could tell people I played at Davies Symphony Hall. I really enjoyed talking to people who listened to my performance.”
Other then playing at Davies Symphony Hall, Wong has participated in many prestigious piano competitions. In 2016, she participated in the San Jose International Piano Competition, winning third place in the Junior Category along with Best Bay Area Contestant. She won first prize at the Vancouver International Music Competition in the Young Artists Division, where 25 pianists from around the world competed in the final round at the University of British Columbia School of Music.
Wong, however, does not play piano for just competition. She also enjoys playing for the elderly and at benefit concerts. Most recently, she performed at the SFCM North Bay Wildfires Benefit Concert and the Northern California Wildfires Relief Concert to raise money for reparations for North Bay wildfires.
Wong’s decorated musical career is a result of a decade of hard work. Since she was five, Wong has adhered to a strict practicing regime of 20 hours a week, which she actually does not see as much of a commitment.
“Playing piano is a lot of hard work,” Wong said. “It takes a lot of dedication and patience to perfect a piece. Every time you practice piano, you have to find the parts you’re not the best at, and you have to keep on practicing that specific part. It may seem boring, but after a while you get used to it and you just have to keep working on the areas you need work on. I
love that feeling that you get when you finally play a piece perfectly and when you are able to play it at performance level.”
Despite her vigorous practice regime, Wong still faces setbacks and poor performances. Wong recalls one such case when she made a mistake during a piano competition.
“I was very frustrated when I almost messed up at a piano competition,” she said. “I felt that I hadn’t practiced enough, and I was very angry at myself. Afterward, I still felt bad, but I told myself to get over it and that there would be more opportunities ahead of me.”
Through the intense dedication and stress of performance and competition, Wong’s love for piano is what inspires her to continue playing music.
“Seeing my piano every day just keeps me going,” she said, “and seeing how far I’ve come encourages me to go on.”
Wong enjoys exploring the variety of feelings and emotions in different compositions, from sonatas to waltzes, and says that it’s her job as a musician to decipher them. Two of her favorite composers to play are Liszt and Chopin.
Her favorite piece is Paganini Capris Number 20 for the violin, which was adapted for the piano.
“I love being challenged by this piece,” she said. “I really appreciate how Liszt turned [the composition] for the violin into a really amazing piece for the piano. I really admire his talent for that.”
Other than playing the piano, Charlotte enjoys bullet journaling and calligraphy. She will play at Bunchock Hall in May and will attend the Curtis Summerfest Young Artist Summer Program this summer.
