We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful RIXIANG HUANG. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with RIXIANG below.
Hi RIXIANG, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Hailed by the New York Concert Review as “in a word, superb,” Steinway Artist Rixiang Huang has inspired glowing acclaim from audiences and critics alike for his superb artistry and passionate, charismatic performances on four continents. Since winning first prize at the 12th Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition in 2021, Huang has rapidly established for himself a major international reputation. His Newest CD album, Eternal Soul, will be released by KNS Classical in May 2023, has already earned accolades from audiences and critics; Steinway Artist Rorianne Schrade remarked that his Debussy “reflect[ed] a special sensitivity, grace, and delicate tonal shading” and his Bartók “may be one of this listener’s most enjoyable Bartók Sonata performances to date” (New York Concert Review).
Winner of an impressive array of prizes, Huang was a top prizewinner of Paloma O’Shea International Piano Competition, Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, Dallas International Piano Competition, New York International Artists Piano Competition, International Piano Competition La Palma d’Oro in Italy, along with WPTA International Piano Competition.
Highlights of the 2022-23 season include a five-city solo recital tour in China; solo recital at the University of Southern California; The Richard Nixon Library & Museum; Prokofiev Piano No.3 with Orquestra Clássica do Sul; Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3 Performance with USC Thornton Orchestra. Huang joins the artist faculty at Perugia Music Festival in Italy; Euro Arts Academy in Poland; Piano Concerto Festival in Portugal; Interharmony Music Festival in Italy; Montecito Music Festival in California in 2023; An immersive and versatile soloist, Huang has performed extensively all over the world in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center, Universität Mozarteum – Solitär in Austria; Palau de la Música Catalana in Spain; Hamamatsu ACT Concert Hall in Japan; National Center for the Performing Arts and Beijing Concert Hall in China. His performances have been broadcast by WQXR-FM, KUSC, KDFC, Classic FM, Cleveland WCLV 104.9, Sarasota WSMR 89.1 & 103.9, and Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española.
As an active soloist, Huang has appeared with leading orchestras wolrdwide including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London; China National Symphony Orchestra; Indonesia National Symphony Orchestra; Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in New York; Orquestra Clássica do Sul; Eastern Music Festival Orchestra in North Carolina as well as USC Thornton Symphony. He has performed alongside preeminent conductors such as Carl, St. Clair, Jac Van Steen, Joel Smirnoff, Earl Lee, Eric Garcia, and has performed in master classes with Sergei Babayan, Stephen Hough, Arie Vardi, Veda Kaplinsky, Dimitry Alexeev, Pavel Gililov, among others. Huang is represented by KNS Classical Management.
Huang is the Founder and CEO of Empire Music Academy in California; he is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Pacific Stars International Piano Competition & Festival. His students have won prizes at numerous international, national, and local competitions such as Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition, Seattle International Piano Competition, Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, WPTA International Piano Competition, International New Star Piano Competition, Bay Area Piano Competition, American Protégé, American Fine Arts Festival(AFAF), Satori Piano Competition, and many other MTAC Branch Competitions.
Huang has also been frequently invited to adjudicate piano competitions such as the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Piano Competition, the Music Teachers’ Association of California Piano Competition, Paderewski International Piano Competition, Pacific Stars International Piano Competition, International New Star Piano Competition, SYMF, Satori Piano Competition. Huang is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC), and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT).
Huang received Doctoral of Musical Arts at the USC Thornton School of Music where he served as Studio Teaching Assistant, studying with prestigious conductor and pianist, Jeffrey Kahane. Huang received a Master of Music in Piano Performance at The Juilliard School, studying with legendary pianists, Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. Previously, he worked with world-renowned pianists, Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Paul Schenly at The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was awarded the Arthur Loesser Memorial Prize for outstanding achievement in piano performance.
Rixiang Huang is a Steinway Artist.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Rixiang Huang, and I am a Chinese concert pianist. I was hailed by the New York Concert Review as “in a word, superb,” and have inspired glowing acclaim from audiences and critics alike for my superb artistry and passionate, charismatic performances on four continents. Since winning first prize at the 12th Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and the Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition in 2021, I have rapidly established a major international reputation. My newest CD album, “Endless Passion,” released in April 2022, has already earned accolades from audiences and critics. Steinway Artist Rorianne Schrade remarked that my Debussy “reflects a special sensitivity, grace, and delicate tonal shading,” and my Bartók “may be one of this listener’s most enjoyable Bartók Sonata performances to date” (New York Concert Review).
I received a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the USC Thornton School of Music, where I served as a Studio Teaching Assistant, studying with prestigious conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane. I also earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance at The Juilliard School, studying with legendary pianists Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. Previously, I worked with world-renowned pianists Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Paul Schenly at The Cleveland Institute of Music, where I was awarded the Arthur Loesser Memorial Prize for outstanding achievement in piano performance.
My highlights of the 2022-23 season include a ten-city solo recital tour in China; solo recitals at the University of Southern California, The Richard Nixon Library & Museum, and the University of West Georgia; Prokofiev’s Piano No.3 with Orquestra Clássica do Sul; and a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3 with USC Thornton Orchestra. I will also be joining the artist faculty at the Perugia Music Festival in Italy, the Euro Arts Academy in Poland, the Piano Concerto Festival in Portugal, the Interharmony Music Festival in Italy, and the Montecito Music Festival in California in 2023.
As a successful entrepreneur, I am the founder and CEO of Empire Music Academy in California. Students of EMA have received over 1000 prizes and awards and have performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, USC Newman Recital Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Renée Segerstrom Concert Hall for more than 100 occasions. Our school focuses on piano, violin, cello, flute, trumpet, guitar, and voice. EMA’s faculty team is comprised of outstanding musicians trained in many prestigious universities and conservatories. They hold graduate and doctoral degrees from institutions such as Juilliard, Yale, Curtis, Colburn, and USC, among others. Our goal is to provide the most professional and best musical education in the country for beginning to advanced students.
In addition, my new project was launched in the summer of 2022. As the founder and artistic director of the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition and Festival, Pacific Stars IPC is supported by the Alink-Argerich Foundation (AAF).
The 2023 Pacific Stars International Piano Competition welcomes the participation of piano students and professional pianists of different ages from all over the world. The total prize exceeds $10,000 USD, and the competition diploma will be presented during the winner’s recital.
The goal of the competition for pianists of different cultures and ages is to expand their musical horizons and to support their career path through various international performance opportunities. We received more than 300 applications last year, and the winners received international performance opportunities, including invitations in the U.S. and China.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
When reflecting on our personal journeys, it’s important to identify the qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful. For me, the three most important qualities that have helped me achieve success are self-discipline, high efficiency in working, and endurance.
Self-discipline is the ability to control oneself and one’s actions. It involves setting clear goals, developing a plan, and consistently working towards those goals. This quality has been a major contributor to my success, as it has helped me stay focused on my goals and make progress even when faced with challenges or distractions. To develop self-discipline, it’s important to start by setting clear goals and developing a plan to achieve them. It’s also important to prioritize tasks, eliminate distractions, and hold oneself accountable for staying on track.
High efficiency in working is another quality that has been critical to my success. This involves the ability to work quickly and effectively, making the most of one’s time and resources. By being efficient in my work, I have been able to take on more tasks, meet deadlines, and achieve my goals more quickly. To develop high efficiency in working, it’s important to prioritize tasks, break them down into manageable steps, and use tools and strategies that can help you work more efficiently. Time management skills, such as setting goals and tracking progress, can also be helpful in improving efficiency.
Finally, endurance is the ability to persist in the face of challenges or obstacles. This quality has been crucial in helping me overcome setbacks and achieve success in the long term. Endurance requires a strong sense of determination, as well as the ability to stay motivated and focused on one’s goals even when faced with setbacks or failures. To develop endurance, it’s important to cultivate a positive mindset, set realistic goals, and stay focused on one’s long-term vision. It’s also important to develop a support system, whether it’s through friends, family, or a professional network, to help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.
In conclusion, self-discipline, high efficiency in working, and endurance are three qualities that have been instrumental in my personal journey. By developing and improving these qualities, I have been able to stay focused on my goals, work efficiently, and persist in the face of challenges. For those who are early in their journey, I would recommend focusing on these qualities as a starting point for achieving success in any field. With dedication and hard work, anyone can develop and improve these qualities and achieve their goals.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
The debate of whether it’s better to go all in on our strengths or try to improve our weaknesses has been a long-standing one. While some people believe that it’s better to focus on our strengths, others argue that being well-rounded is the key to success. In my opinion, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. It’s important to build on our strengths while also investing effort in improving areas we aren’t as strong in.
Focusing on our strengths can help us achieve excellence in our field. When we invest time and effort in what we’re good at, we can become experts in that area, leading to greater success and recognition. However, solely relying on our strengths can lead to complacency and a lack of growth. We may become too comfortable and overlook areas that need improvement, which can hinder our progress in the long run.
On the other hand, investing effort in improving areas we aren’t as strong in can broaden our skill set and make us more well-rounded individuals. By doing so, we can tackle challenges outside of our comfort zone, increasing our adaptability and resilience. However, putting too much focus on our weaknesses can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
My advice for individuals early in their journey is to build on their strengths while also investing effort in improving areas they aren’t as strong in. We should strive to become experts in our field but also challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zone and try new things. By doing so, we can achieve a balance between specialization and versatility, leading to long-term success and personal growth.
In conclusion, it’s important to strike a balance between focusing on our strengths and improving our weaknesses. By doing so, we can achieve excellence in our field while also broadening our skill set and increasing our adaptability. Remember, success is not just about being the best at one thing, but also about being a well-rounded individual capable of tackling any challenge that comes our way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rixianghuangpianist.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rixiang_huang/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rixianghuangpianist
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rixiang-ricky-huang-24a113140/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/huangrixiang?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RixiangHuangpianist
- Project Website: https://www.pacificstars.org/
