Charles Yang
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.
ALBUM TOUR
Grammy Award-winning violinist Charles Yang, described by The Boston Globe as playing “classical violin with the charisma of a rockstar,” presents his long-awaited debut album - a project that showcases his artistry not only as a performer but also as a creator. Inspired by the “Golden Rocket,” the family van that carried him through his formative years as a young musician, the album reflects Charles’ journey and musical vision in a deeply original way.
Charles’ vision for the album was to fuse his diverse musical influences - from Rachmaninoff and Brahms to The Beatles and B.B. King - into one sonic experience. A rare artist who sings while playing the violin, he weaves together multiple genres with dazzling virtuosity and heartfelt expression, creating a sound that is uniquely his own.
For this special concert tour, Charles is joined by a string quartet and rhythm section, bringing the album to life on stage. The result is a vibrant, boundary-breaking performance that celebrates the limitless possibilities of music and creativity.
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
