Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, with artist parents, David Y. Wang started piano lessons with his mother when he was 3 years old and has earned numerous honors. He appeared as the soloist with Pickerington High School North’s Symphonic Band and gave a memorable performance of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. As a percussionist, David has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, was selected by the OMEA All-State Ensembles for 3 consecutive years, and was a marimba finalist in the Ohio Young Musicians’ Concerto Competition. David attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar in 2017 and was chosen to participate in the competitive Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar in New York City in 2018. He earned the prestigious John Philip Sousa Award, the top honor for a high school musician.

In May of 2023, David graduated from Eastman School of Music, where he studied with the renowned artist/composer Michael Burritt and earned the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. He performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference 2022 with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and won the IPEC International Percussion Ensemble Award. As a soloist, David has won first prizes at the 2020 China International Percussion Online Competition in both the Marimba Solo and Snare Drum Solo divisions, along with a special award for Outstanding Technical Achievement. He received the Silver Prize in Snare Drum Solo at the 4th China International Percussion Festival, organized by Percussive Arts Society China, and the first prize at the Music Emergency Contest, sponsored by the Percussive Arts Society Italy. David was also selected as a percussion winner of the 2023 Yamaha Young Performing Artists and was invited to perform in the winner’s concert. He most recently won the 2024 Black Swamp Solo & Ensemble Showcase Multi-Percussion division with his performance of Andy Akiho’s carTogRAPh. He also made his professional orchestral debut in Beijing during the summer of 2023, performing on timpani for an all-Beethoven concert with the Beijing Union Symphony Orchestra.

An enthusiast of promoting new music, David has premiered several chamber and orchestral works. David is an active jazz musician, forming a quartet at Michigan and performing as a drummer in numerous jazz ensembles at Eastman and Michigan. In the summer of 2024, he participated in the World Percussion Group Baltic Tour, giving clinics and masterclasses. David is also passionate about the music of Brazil, as he received a grant from the University of Michigan’s Center for World Performance Studies to conduct research in Rio de Janeiro.

Additionally, David attended the 2021 Chautauqua Summer Music Festival and the following year was a front ensemble member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in 2022, which won the Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance.

David is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University, where he serves as a teaching assistant for the Contemporary Chamber Players. In his free time, David enjoys recreational sports, reading, and spending time with friends and family.