Yilong Wang
Department(s): Piano
Yilong Wang began his formal piano studies at the age of six at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in China. In high school, he studied with Professor Jin Zhang, Chair of the Piano Department at the Middle School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music. In 2019, Yilong moved to Houston and began studying with Professor Timothy Hester at the University of Houston, where he earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance.
Throughout his musical training, Yilong has participated in lessons and masterclasses with distinguished pianists and faculty from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and Boston University, as well as a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medalist and Curtis Institute of Music alumnus.
Yilong has been an active performer from a young age. At fourteen, he presented a 90-minute all-Beethoven solo recital. He later performed in New York City at fifteen and in Europe at sixteen. In 2022, he appeared as a soloist with Symphony North of Houston, performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. His orchestral experience includes performances with symphony, ballet, opera, and chamber orchestras. Most recently, Yilong performed at the 2026 Texas Music Festival, appearing on celesta in Stravinsky’s Petrushka and as pianist in the world premiere of Peter Lieuwen’s Dancing Light.
In addition to performing, Yilong has been actively teaching piano in the Houston area for the past several years, working with students of different ages and levels. His teaching emphasizes a strong technical foundation, musical understanding, and independent learning skills while adapting his approach to the individual needs of each student. He encourages his students to develop not only solid piano skills, but also confidence, musical expression, and a lasting enjoyment of music. Yilong also actively shares Chinese piano music with audiences through performances in the Houston community