D.J. performs on Show 487.

David “D.J.” Wang (piano), 16, is a junior at University Laboratory High School in Urbana, Illinois. He began his piano studies at age 5 with Robin Scott and continues his training under Dr. Christos Tsitsaros at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and through masterclasses with Dr. Ian Hobson. D.J. made his orchestral debut at age 10 in Russia with the Kostroma Symphony Orchestra, and later that year, performed with his hometown, Urbana Pops Orchestra.

D.J. has received top prizes in numerous international competitions, including the Chicago International Music Competition, the Seattle International Piano Competition—Bach Festival, the Steinway & Sons Piano Competition, the Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, CT, and the Chopin Youth Piano Competition. Locally, he also received first prize in the Illinois State Music Teachers Association Piano Competition, and was the winner of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition in both 2022 and 2024.

D.J. has always enjoyed engaging in music and in his community in a variety of ways. Since age 11, D.J. has participated in the Chamber Music Academy at the University of Illinois, as well as in the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra. As a leader of his school’s Orchestra Outreach Club, D.J. introduces classical orchestra and instrumental fundamentals to elementary schools with underserved music programs, and creates original arrangements tailored to the ensemble’s size and skill level for outreach performances. Outside of school, D.J. ‘s collaborative and solo compositions have been broadcast internationally and were virtually premiered through All Score Urbana during the pandemic. D.J.’s original music productions, jazz piano interpretations, and Japanese pop music covers are also available on Spotify and multiple social media platforms.

Outside of music, D.J. explores advanced mathematics through coursework at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also supports global math learners through FractalCalc, a nonprofit calculus tutoring program he founded in 2024. As a passionate ethical hacker, D.J. recently spent a summer at MIT studying embedded security and hardware hacking. Seeing elegance and logic in music, math, and technology, D.J. looks forward to furthering his studies and bringing harmony to the world.

Receiving the Award will allow D.J. to network by participating in masterclasses and taking consultation lessons with prominent teachers. The award funds will also allow D.J. to take part in a music festival this coming summer of 2026.