Teen piano prodigy to round out Sunday Series in Urbana

HOW TO GO

What: Pianist Taylor Wang

Where: Champaign County Arts Council Gallery, 119 Miami St., Urbana

When: Sunday, May 15, 4 p.m.

Admission: $15

More info: 937-653-7557 or go to www.champaigncountyartscouncil.org/piano_series.php

Playing the big venues can be great for your career. Performing in the smaller ones may be just as satisfying for an artist.

Taylor Wang, the 14-year-old piano prodigy, has performed at some of the most prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York multiple times and earned numerous awards, yet still gets excited playing for a much smaller, but more intimate show such as the Champaign County Arts Council’s Sunday Series.

She’ll return at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15 as the revamped Series closes its first season at the Arts Council’s gallery, 119 Miami St.

“I love playing at more intimate settings like the Sunday Series because I feel like I can interact with the audience more as I play,” Wang said. “To me, performing is all about creating a world of music and guiding my audience through it, and in a smaller venue I can customize that experience for the audience.

“I also love it because after my performance I get to converse more with audience members than I would at some larger venues.”

Wang performed for the Champaign County Arts Council Piano Series, the Sunday Series predecessor, in 2014. She’s matured as an artist and as a person since and is eager to share it.

“I am able to express a much wider range of emotions, which I think the audience will greatly appreciate. I now have a greater appreciation for the music I play,” Wang said. “Although I have always loved classical music, I missed some of the more complex harmonies when I was younger, but now that I recognize and hear more of the intricacy of the music, I can show my audience those details.”

Since early childhood, Wang has performed frequently in Springfield and Urbana as she’s from the Dayton area and said she feels more of a connection to these audiences.

Wang made her symphonic solo debut with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra at age 10.

Not surprisingly, Wang is focused on becoming a professional concert pianist and plans to attend high school at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in the Boston area.

“Right now, I’m mainly trying to get my hands on a lot of repertoire to perform in the future,” she said. “For example, my next big piece will be the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3.”