Meet Sydney Wang

We recently connected with Sydney Wang and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

One of my favorite aspects of being an artist is that there is no “set” career path to follow; there are a million and one ways to carve out a professional life in music, and the possibilities are endless. However, with this freedom also comes a significant amount of personal responsibility. The onus is on me to constantly find ways to expand my network, challenge my abilities, and seek out new opportunities. I used to believe that if I was afraid to try something – be it auditioning for a prestigious program or introducing myself to someone new – it was a sign that I shouldn’t, or that I wasn’t ready. But in reality, the only person holding me back was myself. Especially in recent years, some of the best and most life-changing experiences came about because I asked for and said yes to opportunities that I wanted, even if I didn’t “feel qualified” at the time. Most of the time, I would surprise myself with what I was capable of achieving. You truly don’t know your limits until you dare to challenge them. Pushing yourself beyond what you think you can accomplish and stepping outside your comfort zone is the best way grow and evolve – as an artist and as a person. And every time I take that risk and overcome that seemingly insurmountable obstacle, my confidence rises and I become more open to taking more risks. It becomes a positive feedback loop. Of course, as is the case with any risk-taking, there are countless times when I fall short of my goal. But I would much rather try everything and fail at some of the things than trying nothing at all.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a Los-Angeles based composer and pianist whose work in both areas draw upon my extensive experience as a collaborative performer. As a composer, I have experience working in various different genres: classical, electronic, and film scoring, to name just a few. But I have an enduring love for concert music, which I attribute to my background as a performer. Recent highlights include performances of my work by Salastina, Orchestra Senzaspine, Aperture Duo, and New Thread Quartet. Through my music, I seek to tell stories – especially surrounding themes of heritage and the underrepresented.

Though my current studies center on composition, I maintain an active schedule as a solo and collaborative performer of both classical and new music. In the past year alone, I have performed at over 30 concerts and premiered 17 new works. In March 2024, with special permission from the Bernstein estate and Indiana University, I recorded and co-produced a full-length album of Leonard Bernstein’s music on the composer’s own piano with a team of Indiana University’s musicians and engineers. As a collaborative pianist, I have a particular passion for accompanying and coaching vocalists; I work primarily with the voice department at UCLA, though I love playing with musicians of all mediums. I have also accompanied rehearsals with the UCLA choral ensembles, and am currently a rehearsal pianist with the Verdi Chorus in Santa Monica. In May 2024, I had the opportunity to perform at the 2024 International Trumpet Guild Conference, and in June 2024, I performed in the West Coast premiere of William Averitt’s oratorio “Easter, 1906” alongside pianist James Lent and the UCLA Chamber Singers. Upcoming performance engagements include a role as répétiteur in Music On Site’s production of “Don Giovanni” in December 2024, as well as a solo recital accompanying soprano Yekaterina Lynch in January 2025.

I am involved in the organization and hosting of composers concerts in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Italy. Inspired by the influences of new music on my own life, I want to do my part to help ensure that such impactful music can be heard and enjoyed by audiences everywhere. One could say that I am truly in love with every aspect of music-making: composing, performing, producing. Being able to combine all of these facets brings me great joy and fulfillment; it feels like I have hit the musical jackpot in life!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Make your daily practice enjoyable. Setting goals and accomplishing them is important and should absolutely be encouraged and celebrated. But glitz and glamor aside, it is the things you do every day that are the key to attaining a lasting sense of fulfillment and contentment. Happiness is found in the hours spent at your instrument, in the discovery of new pieces of music, in the connections you foster with friends and colleagues. If what you do in your daily routine does not spark joy, then no amount of achievement, fame, or recognition will change that. Work hard, but don’t torture yourself. My advice is to build a sustainable daily practice that is a balance of work and fun, and that you can imagine doing for the rest of your life (more or less).

Never stop being curious. As artists, evolution is a core pillar of our craft. Embrace and accept the beauty that lies in imperfection. Dare to challenge yourself, to push your boundaries, and make each creation stronger in some way than the one that preceded it. Allow yourself to be inspired and motivated by the works of your predecessors and contemporaries alike. Every time I take on a new opportunity, rather than make perfection my goal, I make it a goal to learn as much as I can from the experience. One of the most rewarding feelings is to look back over the years and see how far I have come. I still have a long way to go, but I have learned to embrace and welcome that revelation. I love the idea that every day is full of possibilities – to learn, to grow, to try and try again.

Be kind to yourself. Especially in this day and age with the internet and social media, it becomes easier than ever to compare the worst parts of yourself to the best parts of other people. But such comparison is futile at best and dangerous at worst. We all grow at different paces, and each and every one of us is walking a completely different path in life. Trust that you are doing the best you can with the knowledge you have right now. Your “best” will change in few years, or months, or even weeks; that is what growth is! And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. My attitude toward mistakes is that if there is a lesson to be learned from it, learn it. If not, and it was simply just a mistake, forgive yourself and move on. Self-blame, guilt, and shame take immense amounts of emotional energy – energy that can be focused instead on the parts of yourself that bring you joy and fulfillment. At the end of the day, we are all human – flaws and all.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

In the past year, I have learned that there is great power in simply believing in yourself – as cliché as it may sound. But it’s harder said than done! I think that truly and deeply believing in oneself extends beyond believing in your abilities: It also means believing that you deserve the good things that come your way; it means you don’t believe that setbacks should impact on your self-worth; and it means believing that what is meant for you will come when the time is right, without needing you to force it or beg for it.

I have noticed that whenever I fixate on fear, self-criticism, or feeling like I am in some way inadequate, I end up limiting myself and the chances I am willing to take, oftentimes without even realizing I’m doing it. In a way, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the flip side, whenever I focus on intentionally grabbing life by the horns, believing in my abilities, and directing my time and energy toward the things that excite and fulfill me, my confidence rises and opportunities open up, almost as if the universe responds to this change in energy. There will always be endless reasons to feel discontented, but there will always be at least as many reasons to feel grateful and satisfied. It takes conscious effort to stop negative thoughts in their tracks and practice radical self-acceptance and self-love, but the results – in both my professional and personal life – are incredibly rewarding.

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Image Credits

Erica Hou; Jack Jones

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