viola

Wenting Kang was born in Hunan Province, China, and began playing the violin at age six with Puzhang Ai. In 2003, she transferred her major to viola studying under the tutelage of Changhai Wang, and in 2006 Ms. Kang was promoted directly to the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music.

Ms. Kang has taken part in master classes for both solo and chamber music playing with world-renowned musicians including Bruno Pasquier, Hariolf Schlichtig, Lars Anders Thomter, Matthias Buchholz, Nobuko Imai, Pinchas Zukermann, Rainer Kussmaul, Roberto Diaz, Tabea Zimmermann, and Wolfgang Kloss.

Wenting Kang was born in Hunan Province, China, and began playing the violin at age six with Puzhang Ai. In 2003, she transferred her major to viola studying under the tutelage of Changhai Wang, and in 2006 Ms. Kang was promoted directly to the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music.

Ms. Kang has taken part in master classes for both solo and chamber music playing with world-renowned musicians including Bruno Pasquier, Hariolf Schlichtig, Lars Anders Thomter, Matthias Buchholz, Nobuko Imai, Pinchas Zukermann, Rainer Kussmaul, Roberto Diaz, Tabea Zimmermann, and Wolfgang Kloss.

She won first prize in the 5th August Dombrovska International Competition in Latvia, won the Concerto Competition of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, and took first prize in the 1st China Viola Festival-National Viola Competition. In 2010, she won third prize in the Johannes Brahms International Competition. In 2011, she won the Robertson prize at the Primrose International Viola Competition. Most recently, Ms. Kang was recipient of the First Prize in the 2nd Tokyo International Viola Competition in 2012.

Ms. Kang has attended the Morningside Music Bridge international music festival in Canada, the Schleswig-Holstein International Orchestral Academy in Germany, the Carl Nielsen master classes in Denmark, the Verbier Festival Academy in Switzerland, the Rencontre Musicale Camerata Lysy Music Festival in Italy, and the Monadnock Festival in the U.S. Recently, Ms. Kang was selected to participate in Yellow Barn Music Festival and the Steans Institute at Ravinia Festival.

As an active chamber musician, Ms. Kang has shared the stage with artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Donald Palma, Paul Katz, Alan Kay, Paul Biss, and Nobuko Imai. She is now pursuing her Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory, working with Garth Knox and Kim Kashkashian.

Performances

Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory | February 15, 2013

News and Press

[Concert Review] BMOP gives the viola its moment in the sun

And now, it might be asked, should we pity the viola? It is after all consigned to an unglamorous middle range, and is ever on the receiving end of all that merciless skewering (if you don’t know what I mean, type “viola jokes” into Google, or ask anyone who has played in an orchestra).

The Boston Globe Full review
[Concert Review] Roseate Ensemble: Violas Consort with BMOP

In another masterstroke of imaginative programming for which it is renowned, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, under Music Director Gil Rose, offered a day-late billet-doux to the sultriest member of the string family at Jordan Hall on February 15th. “Voilà! Viola!” consisted of five works featuring the viola, four of them as soloist and one for an ensemble of eight. (one will have to come up with a clever collective noun for this).

The Boston Musical Intelligencer Full review
[Concert Review] It’s “Voilà Viola!” night at Boston Modern Orchestra Project

Why did the contemporary-music orchestra give a concert of five works that all featured the viola?

a. because they wanted to make a pun in French
b. because it was St. Violantine’s Day
c. because there’s some good stuff for viola out there
d. the orchestra ordered up two brand-new viola pieces, never heard before

Boston Classical Review Full review