14-year-old cellist and From the Top alum Daniel Wang and pianist Helen Meng perform Après un rêve by Gabriel Fauré. With its rich cello melodies and flowing piano harmonies, this beautiful piece is full of emotion. Let yourself be swept away by this moving performance!
Belmont, California Daniel appears on Show 474.
Daniel Wang (cello), 14, began his musical journey at an early age, studying cello and piano under the guidance of his parents. Now fourteen years old, he has established himself as an emerging talent, described by international critics as a truly gifted artist with maturity and musical depth beyond his years.
Daniel has won top prizes in numerous international music competitions. He was the winner of the Gustav Mahler Cello Competition, where he also received the Director of the Gustav Mahler Institute Award and the Prize for Best Interpretation of a Work by Haydn. His other accolades include First Prize awards from the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, the Paris International Music Competition, the International Music Moscow Competition, the Malopolska International Music Competition, and the Pacific Music Society & Foundation Competition. Most recently, he took First Prize in the Burlingame Music Club Competition and the Grand Prize in the Chamber Music division of the Enkor Competition.
As a soloist, Daniel’s 2025–26 season highlights include concerto performances with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Parnassus, and the Cambrian Symphony. He is the youngest artist in Project Spring Bird, an initiative led by Maestro Long Yu, Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, to support exceptional young talent. Through this initiative, Daniel presented a solo recital and a chamber music performance at the Beijing International Music Festival. He has also appeared on The Violin Channel and NPR’s From the Top, where he recorded a solo performance and interview.
His 2026–27 season includes recitals in Texas, Michigan, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Prague, as well as concerto appearances with the Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hohhot Philharmonic Orchestra, California Youth Symphony.
Daniel currently studies with Richard Aaron at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Academy. Beyond the cello, Daniel holds a strong interest in conducting.
Music has the unique ability to bring joy to our lives – especially in the hands of young people. Daily Joy is a reminder of music’s power to uplift, inspire, and unite.
Daily Joy is a project of From the Top. It began in the very early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and continues today to offer a much-needed respite from the anxiety and worry that we encounter in the world.
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Daily Joy is a program of From the Top, an independent non-profit organization that relies on support from individuals. Your support will help ensure From the Top's work of celebrating the joy, talents, and stories of extraordinary young musicians.