PROJECTS:
Grammy Award-winning violinist Charles Yang is the recipient of the 2018 Leonard Bernstein Award and has been described by the Boston Globe as a musician who “plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star.” He has appeared at the festivals of Schleswig-Holstein, Aspen, Ravinia, Caramoor, and Interlochen and performed at Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Royal Danish Theatre, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Beijing’s Forbidden City, YouTube Music Awards, Google Zeitgeist, and Joe’s Pub in New York.
A compelling vocalist, crossover artist, and improviser, he is a member of Time for Three, an eclectic, free- wheeling string trio that locates itself at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music. In 2023, the group received a Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo for its recording of Letters for the Future, featuring the music of Kevin Puts and Jennifer Higdon with the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Xian Zhang.
Yang—an adventurous composer, arranger, songwriter, and collaborator—co-wrote the original score to Land, a 2021 film directed by Robin Wright. He has also collaborated onstage with artists such as Steve Miller, Savion Glover, Jon Batiste, Gaby Moreno, Joshua Bell, Michael Thurber, Peter Dugan, and Misty Copeland. In 2019, he premiered Kris Bowers’s concerto For a Younger Self at Walt Disney Hall.
A Juilliard graduate, he began his violin studies with his mother, Sha Zhu, in Austin, Texas, before working with Kurt Sassmanshaus, Paul Kantor, Brian Lewis, and Glenn Dicterow.
Charles performs on the 1852 “ex-Soil” J.B. Vuillaume.
STAGES TOUR
Grammy Award-winning violinist, vocalist, and songwriter Charles Yang, described by The Boston Globe as playing “classical violin with the charisma of a rockstar,” brings his long-awaited debut solo album, Stages, to life in a genre-defying live performance.
Yang's solo career has been gaining significant momentum, with his rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” attracting millions of views online and the song approaching one million streams across digital platforms.
Blurring the lines between classical, rock, pop, and soul, Stages reflects the many musical worlds that have shaped Yang's life. From Rachmaninoff and Brahms to The Beatles and Sam Cooke, from A-ha to Daft Punk, his diverse influences come together to create a sound that is uniquely his own. The album's title reflects both the chapters of his musical evolution and the countless stages he has performed on throughout his career.
For the Stages Tour, Yang is joined by his band, performing music from the new album alongside reimagined classics and unexpected musical twists. A rare artist who sings while playing the violin, Yang combines dazzling virtuosity with heartfelt expression in a performance that celebrates the limitless possibilities of music.
CHARLES YANG & PETER DUGAN
Grammy Award-winning violinist Charles Yang, praised by The Boston Globe for playing “classical violin with the charisma of a rockstar,” joins pianist Peter Dugan, the versatile host of NPR’s From the Top, in a collaboration that redefines what a violin–piano recital can be. Both artists are known for breaking boundaries and infusing classical music with the spirit of improvisation, creativity, and genre-bending innovation.
In their dynamic duo show, Yang and Dugan move seamlessly between styles—fusing the elegance of Ravel and Bartók with the soul of Sam Cooke, the timeless melodies of The Beatles, and their own original works. Their charismatic stage presence and fearless versatility create performances that are at once virtuosic and intimate, sophisticated and wildly fun.
Audiences can expect a concert that feels like an exhilarating journey through musical traditions—where classical artistry meets jazz, pop, blues…and where every piece is transformed into something fresh, personal, and unforgettable.
PRESS:
“Plays classical violin with the charisma of a rockstar”
The Boston Globe
“...as adept at improvising blues on his fiddle as carving out note-perfect classical.”
The Austin Chronicle
“..crystalline yet muscular playing.”
The Financial Times
“excellent soloist”
The New York Times
