Charles Yang

GRAMMY Award-winning artist and recipient of the 2018 Leonard Bernstein Award, Charles Yang has been described by The Boston Globe as one who "plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star.” A Juilliard graduate, he began his violin studies with his mother, Sha Zhu, in Austin, Texas, and later studied with renowned pedagogues including Kurt Sassmanshaus, Paul Kantor, Brian Lewis, and Glenn Dicterow. Yang has performed as a soloist with orchestras globally, including in the United States, Europe, Brazil, China, and Taiwan. On June 9, 2005, the Mayor of Austin honored him with "Charles Yang Day.” In 2016, he joined the multi-genre string band Time For Three as violinist and lead singer. Yang's improvisational abilities as a violinist and vocalist have led to performances at festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Caramoor, and Interlochen. He has played at venues like Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Lincoln Center, Konzerthaus Berlin, Rudolfinum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Forbidden City in Beijing. He has collaborated with artists like Peter Dugan, Joshua Bell, Jake Shimabukuro, Misty Copeland, and Jon Batiste among others. An adventurous composer, Yang co-wrote the score for Robin Wright’s film Land (2021). His career has been highlighted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Strad, and he is featured in Nick Romeo's book Driven and the Discovery Channel's Curiosity.