2004 Young Master

Sixteen year-old Charles Yang, a sophomore at Westlake High School in Austin, began studying the violin with his mother. “Violin is like caffeine to me,” says young Charles Yang. “I'm addicted to it!” You might say Charles was born to play violin. His mom — a violinist with the Austin Symphony — was onstage playing in a concert only hours before giving birth to him. Shortly after he came into the world, Charles instinctively took to the violin. He began taking lessons at the age of three, and nowadays, if a day goes by when he doesn't play, he feels like something is definitely missing. His honors and awards include two consecutive top places at the Interlochen Arts Camp Concerto Competition, grand prize and first prize at the first Asian American Young Musicians Challenge Cup, first prize of Austin Symphony Orchestra's Youth Award, first prize of the 2004 Lennox International Young Artists Competition, Young Masters Scholarship, and designation as a Cultural Leader. Since his 1999 debut in China on the televised program A Gala Evening with Charles Yang, Charles has performed as a soloist with Austin Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony, Richardson Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, and has been a frequent feature soloist with the Starling Chamber Orchestra in concerts in Aspen, Cincinnati, Munich, Vienna and St. Petersburg. Yang also has performed as a soloist for the National Public Radio show From the Top, and was invited to represent From the Top as young artist at Harvard University's Faculty Club in "the Greatest Fifteen-minute Concert in the World" in November 2002, and in Britney Spears' Camp in Cape Cod in August 2003. In the summer of 2001, Charles was accepted to the Aspen Music Festival and School as a student of Dorothy DeLay and Kurt Sassmannshaus, and is a New Horizon Fellowship student of Professor Sassmannshaus. Currently, Yang studies with two violin teachers. On occasion Charles commutes to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to study with Professor Sassmanshaus and perform with Starling Chamber Orchestra. Locally he studies with Professor Brian Lewis of the University of Texas at Austin School of Music.

Yang has been featured in Austin American Statesman, Picayune, Boston Globe, Fortissimo, Shenzhen Daily, Shaumburger Nachrichten, and the Dallas Daily. You may also catch him in Spy Kids II. In addition to being a musician, Charles has had a brief stint as an actor. He was in the movie Spy Kids II. “I had a total of two syllables to speak,” says Charles. “Basically, I said 'hi' in Chinese -- and got paid for it!” Charles aspires to be a professional violinist. He plays piano in addition to playing violin, and when he's not performing or practicing, he likes to play ping-pong, chess and soccer.

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