Deemed “a prodigy, [running] the emotional gamut from brooding introspection to manic exuberance” (San Francisco Examiner), American-Icelandic pianist and composer Andrew J. Yang has an active international performance career across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Born and raised in California, Yang grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2020, he indefinitely moved to Iceland, where he has established himself as one of the most dedicated and inquisitive pianists in the country. For three years, Yang resided in Patreksfjörður, a beautiful small village of seven hundred inhabitants in the remote Westfjords region of Iceland. After a successful debut at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík, Fréttablaðið, the most-read Icelandic newspaper at the time, remarked: “Yang’s playing was full of emotion with amazing musical high points. Small nuances were beautifully executed, and the keystrokes were refined and even dreamy.” Legendary pianist Ruth Slenczynska, who studied with the likes of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alfred Cortot, declared Yang “a gifted, sincere musician and serious artist”.  

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Yang is the founder and artistic director of the International Westfjords Piano Festival and Reykjavík International Piano Festival (Reykjavík Pianofest). The Westfjords Piano Festival, now in its fifth season, not only offers world-class piano recitals to the remote region of Iceland, but also free masterclasses, workshops, and lessons. In 2023, he received the 2023 Eyrarrósin Encouragement Award from the First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid for his work with the festival.

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Yang won top prizes at the 30th International FLAME Piano Competition (Paris) and the 5th Metropolitan International Piano Competition (New York City). He also received awards from the Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition, Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards (New York City), San Francisco Junior Chopin Competition, Thaviu-Issac Piano Competition, Evanston Music Club Competition, and the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition, and was a semifinalist at the Schimmel International Competition (Germany), Kosziuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, Crescendo Music Awards (Oklahoma), and Campillos International Piano Competition (Spain). Yang also received a “White Rose” Medal of Honor for musical excellence from President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.

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Recent concerts include solo recitals at the Mozarthaus in Vienna, Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík, Musiikkitalo in Helsinki, Judaica Foundation in Krakow, and the Hoheikan in Sapporo. Yang has performed at most of the major New York venues including Carnegie Hall, Victor Borge Hall, and the Museum of Modern Art. He has also played extensively across Canada, including at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Centre d'arts Orford, and in venues across British Columbia. Yang has also been invited to major festivals around the world including Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival in Florida, Austria International Piano Festival and Seminar, Krakow Piano Summer in Poland, Paderewski Piano Festival in Raleigh, Mannes Sounds Festival in New York City and Menningarnótt in Reykjavik. 

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Extensive musical inspiration came from the late Dr. William Wellborn, with whom Yang studied and was closely mentored by from childhood in 2007 until his passing in 2023. Other teachers and mentors include Antoinette Perry, Ruth Slenczynska, Adam Wibrowski, James Giles, Dang Thai Son, and Robert McDonald. Yang received both a B.A. in Economics and B.M. in Piano Performance from Northwestern University. Upon graduation with an M.M. in Piano Performance from Mannes School of Music, he received the Steinway & Sons Award, a distinction given to the most outstanding graduating pianist. Yang then spent three years as a full-tuition scholarship D.M.A. doctoral student at USC Thornton School of Music (concurrently with living in Patreksfjörður).

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As a pianist, Yang is particularly drawn to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Sergei Prokofiev, L.V. Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel, and has performed an extensive range of their repertoire. Since 2020, Yang has begun composing as a major part of artistic endeavors and has also recently started to perform his original compositions in concerts. His scores are published and distributed by Tónlistarmiðstöð (Iceland Music Center), and his work, Impromptu in F# minor, op. 3, was recently selected as a prize for the EPTA Piano Competition in Iceland.

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Yang has a genuine interest in teaching music. He is currently on the piano faculty at Tónskólinn í Reykjavík and Tónskóli Sigursveins, where he is dedicated to teaching many dedicated and talented students. He focuses first and foremost on a caring approach to each student’s personal connection with the music and also brings to the table a wealth of piano pedagogy knowledge and practical suggestions. While a D.M.A. student at USC Thornton School of Music, Yang held one of two coveted Studio T.A. positions, which offered him to teach undergraduate and graduate piano major students at the University. He was on the piano faculty at Krakow Piano Summer in Poland and has also given masterclasses at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Vancouver, and music schools across Iceland.

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A former competitive athlete in badminton, track & field, and basketball, Yang also pursued an amateur boxing career, training out of the legendary John's Boxing Gym in the Bronx, NY. He trained in mixed martial arts (MMA) under head coach Justen Hamilton at Modern Martial Arts in Pasadena, California. Yang also sings, plays violin and guitar, and is passionate about creating other genres of music. Outside of musical endeavors, he enjoys cooking, literature, and travelling.