University of Michigan
Home town: Princeton, NJ
American pianist Angie Zhang is among the most celebrated and impactful artists in today's classical music scene. With her entrepreneurial spirit and innovative mindset, she has contributed greatly to scholarship, diversity, and inclusion in the piano world and beyond. Her life's mission is to inspire awe by sharing the complete story of the piano, building on the discourse by Chimamanda Adichie about the Danger of the One-Sided Story. Using this approach in her avant-garde recital programming and personalized methods of staying in touch with her audience goers, she has built an empire of piano lovers who come from all areas of interests, careers, and backgrounds.
A large part of her mission is showcasing the diversity of the piano, composers, and people needed to build and maintain these works of art. Her performances on harpsichord, fortepiano, and modern piano have been praised by colleagues, presenters, and cross-industry executives and visionaries.