Wynona Wang Dazzles At The MAC

Raheem Nelson Photos.

It was like a light switched on. Wynona Wang, world renowned classical pianist, sat down at the piano on the Milford Arts Council stage. She took a breath, and in the audience, you could hear a pin drop. Music cascaded from the piano, floating through the full room. Her fingers danced across the keys with a sense of urgency and power. It was, in an instant, enough to transport a listener to another time and place.

Wang, who first graced the Connecticut shoreline in 2023, returned to the Milford Arts Council (the MAC) Friday night, with an electrifying mix of classical piano that had a full house on the edge of its seats, and sometimes also on its feet. As she flowed through a set that included Franz Joseph Haydn, Leoš Janáček, Zhang Zhao, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, the artist knitted in stories from her own life, a mellifluous journey from Beijing to Julliard with stops at grand concert halls and revered music festivals along the way.

Some of the most magical moments came from the interactions she had with the audience and with the piano onstage, which she greeted like an old friend. In Hadyn’s Piano Sonata in E Minor, with which she opened the evening, her fingers flew across the keys, poetry in motion as she brought the 18th century right into the present. In another piece, she played with such a sense of urgency that the piano itself seemed to be singing, its deep, layered voice pushed to an edge, but never straining. By Rachmaninoff’s Sonata No. 1, she seemed to radiate light, a glimmer from the stage that filled the whole room with bright, effervescent sound. It was a brilliant performance from a master of her craft.

That warmth radiated into the audience, where hands eagerly exploded into applause at the end of pieces, and music got the audience on its feet for standing ovations. By the end of the evening, a person could see it in Wang’s vibrant smile, which remained bright as she came off the stage, and greeted fans and patrons of all ages. That included young Zoe Quintuna—daughter of MAC artist-in-residence Maritza Quintuna—who looked awestruck, as if she was meeting musical royalty for the first time. After all, she was.

Before the performance, I had a chance to briefly interview the artist about her life, her craft, and her return to the MAC. Here’s what she had to say.

Raheem Nelson: How do you get your start?

Wynona Wang: Every day feels like a fresh start for me. Sometimes I even dream about practicing certain passages before the day begins, and waking up with those musical ideas excites me to try them out on the actual keyboard. Of course, there are unmotivated days too. When that happens, I step away and do something calming, like cooking or doing my makeup, before returning to the piano with very low expectations - even telling myself I’ll practice for just ten minutes. More often than not, those ten minutes turn into much more.

What inspires you to create?

As an artist, I love to explore. When life gets busy, it’s easy to feel burnt out, and living in New York City has been incredibly inspiring for me. I sometimes go to Broadway shows - the performers’ passion and devotion to the stage are so powerful that they always motivate me to return to my own practice. Walking along the Hudson River, looking toward New Jersey, is another way I recharge; the quiet contrast brings me a sense of balance and clarity. When I’m traveling, even brief walks in a new city spark inspiration — simply being in a different place helps bringing new interpretations in music making.

What do you look forward to about performing at the MAC?

I performed at the MAC a few years ago, and I still remember how warm and welcoming the audience was. The venue felt intimate, and I felt a real connection with the listeners. I’m very much looking forward to returning with a different program and sharing a new musical experience with the MAC community.

How would you say you’ve grown as an artist in the past year?

This past year was especially fulfilling for me. I traveled extensively and performed on four continents in 2025. I learned a lot of new repertoire, including many dream pieces, and challenged myself with demanding schedules of different concert programs back to back. Each experience pushed me to grow, both musically and personally, and I feel I’m constantly learning and refining my artistic voice.

Where do you see your career going in the next five years?

That’s the most difficult question to answer. What I know for sure is that I love playing the piano, I love making music, and I love sharing the music I believe in with people sitting in the concert hall. I plan to keep doing what I love, stay curious, and enjoy the journey wherever it leads.

The following citizen contribution comes to the Arts Paper through multimedia artist, illustrator and graphic recorder Raheem Nelson, marketing director at the Milford Arts Council (the MAC), located at 40 Railroad Ave South in Milford. Find out more about the Milford Arts Council, its artists and offerings, here. To listen to a longer interview on WNHH’s “Arts Respond” with MAC Executive Director Paige Miglio and Marketing Director Raheem Nelson about the exciting year ahead, click on or download the audio above.