Name: Dennis Fang
Age: 13
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Biography
Dennis Fang is an 8th grade GATE student at pioneer Middle School in Tustin, California. He received the principal’s honor roll gold recognition for outstanding academic achievement. Dennis thrives on challenges that stimulate his brain. Math and science are his favorite subjects. He started taking piano lessons since age 8 and has been studying piano with Ms. Ariel Yang since 2003. He enjoys music. Piano is a big part of his life. He likes dynamic and challenging pieces. He also likes romantic pieces with beautiful melodies. With the help of Ms. Yang and the director, Ethan Dong at Opus119, Dennis has won numerous awards, including 1st place at MTAC state solo piano competition (2008), 1st place at MTAC Irvine concerto competition (2008), 1st place and Grand prize at Cypress piano competition (2006) etc. In 2008, Dennis became one of the youngest student who was invited to study at the Lake Como International Piano Academy in Lake Como, Italy under the direction of Maestro William Grand Nabore.
In addition to competitions, Dennis also played at various concerts including the “Rising Star Concert” with Yorba Linda Orchestra, “Sapphire Concert” at Irvine Barclay Theater and Hollywood Ford Amphitheater etc. He is also scheduled to perform Beethoven No. 4 Piano concerto with the UCI symphony this fall.
Dennis enjoys video gaming, swimming, photography and hanging out with his friends. You’ll also frequently find him testing his singing talent in the shower.
Current Repertoire
Gounod-Liszt - Faust Waltz
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, no. 1, Op. 15
Moritz Moszkowski - 15 Virtuosic Etudes “Per Aspera”, No.6 in F Major, Op.72
Liszt - Faust Waltz
Sergei Prokofiev - Sonata No. 2 in d minor, Op. 14
Bach - Complete Invention and Sinfonias
Johann Sebastian Bach - Italian Concerto
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 14 in c#, Op. 27
Felix Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14
Dmitri Kabalevsky - Piano Concerto No. 3, “Youth” for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 50
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14
Chopin Etudes Op. 25
Competition History
1st Place - 2008 MTAC Irvine Concerto Competition
1st Place - 2008 MTAC State Solo Piano Competition 13-15 yrs
2nd Place – 2007 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition
1st Place and Grand prize - 2006 Cypress Piano Competition Contemporary Era
1st Place – 2006 16th Annual International Chinese Young Musicians Competition
1st Place – 2006 Southwestern Youth Music Festival / Open Baroque
Winner – 2006 Southwestern Youth Music Festival / Open Solo
Winner – 2006 Southwestern Youth Music Festival / Open Concerto
Winner – 2006 MTAC State Solo Competition
1st Place and Audience award – 2006 Emerging Artist Piano Competition
1st Place – 2006 MTAC Orange County North Concerto Competition
Winner – 2005 Southwestern Youth Music Festival / Open Baroque
Winner – 2005 Southwestern Youth Music Festival / Open Solo
Winner – Bach Festival CWA 2005
Performance
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 - UCI Symphony (Fall, 2008)
Gounod/ Liszt - Faust Waltz - MTAC Convention (summer 2008)
Central Conservatory of Music Concert Hall (Beijing, China 2008)
Tom Lee Hall (China, 2008)
Kabalevsky Piano Concerto #3, Op. 50 - Yorba Linda Orchestra, Rising Star Concert - 2006.
World-record setting 24 pianist performance - Irvine Barclay Theater - 2006.
Sapphire Concert - Hollywood Ford Amphitheater - 2006.
Sapphire Piano Ensemble - Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center - 2006.
NAMM Show - Bosendorfer Piano, Anaheim, CA - 2007
Iruka Yochien Benefit Concert, Hacienda Heights., CA - 2004
Questions for Dennis
What is your typical day like? “First, I wake up. Then, I do I all the stuff I need to do to get ready for school, like brush my teeth and stuff. Then, I go to the kitchen and grab a “Hot Pocket” for breakfast, and I’m off to school! At school I do more stuff, like attend class and go to the bathroom. After school, I go to Opus119 and try to practice piano. Then, I have to finish my homework and stuff. By the time I finish, I’m pretty tired, so I go to bed, and next morning I do the same thing.”
What’s a “Hot Pocket?” “Oh, it’s the stuff I eat for breakfast that makes me want to go to the bathroom when I get to school. Actually, it’s rather tasty! It’s meat, cheese, and other stuff all wrapped up in a pastry shell. All I have to do is stick it in the toaster for 3 minutes and it’s ready to eat. Yum!!”
Are you a good cook? I make great “Hot Pockets” I can also make juice, toast, and ….That’s about it. Oh yeah… I know how to order pizza!”
"Dennis Fang performing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata"