About
Canadian pianist Naomi Wong is emerging as a compelling musical orator whose sincere and thoughtful artistry places human connection at the forefront of her performances.
Recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Developing Artist Grant, awarded to exceptional young Canadian artists, Naomi is active as both a soloist and concerto performer. She made her concerto debut in 2017 with the North York Concert Orchestra and has since appeared as a soloist with the York Symphony Orchestra, University of Toronto Campus Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra, among others, performing concerti by Brahms, Chopin, and Schumann.
As a soloist, Naomi is especially passionate about curating programs that highlight lesser-known repertoire, inviting audiences to engage more deeply with music that is often overlooked. She has been featured in concert series across Toronto, including the Nine Sparrow Arts Foundation Lunchtime Chamber Series, the Arts & Letters Club, and the Fridays at Noon Series at St. Andrew’s Church. In the 2023-24 season, she presented a program interweaving selections from living composer Lera Auerbach’s Preludes for piano with Bach’s Preludes & Fugues at Steinway Hall in New York City, the Blanco Performing Arts Series, and the Austin Steinway Gallery.
In recent years, Naomi has distinguished herself in numerous international competitions, receiving Fourth Prize and the Special Vecchiato Prize at the Palma d’Oro in Finale Ligure, Italy; First Prize in the Betty Dickinson Piano Competition at the Texas State International Piano Festival; and the Grand Prize at the International Music Festival and Competition in Markham, Canada. She has also received top honours as the winner of the Montpelier Arts Center Classical Recital Competition and is a National Gold Medalist in Theory from the Royal Conservatory of Music, a distinction awarded annually to the highest-achieving theory student in Canada.
Naomi completed her Master’s in Piano Performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she was awarded the Pauline Favin Memorial Award in Piano upon graduation. She is currently pursuing a Graduate Performance Diploma at Peabody, supported by a full assistantship in Keyboard Studies.
Throughout her artistic journey, Naomi has been extremely privileged to have been shaped by many inspiring pianists. She is greatly indebted to her current teacher, HieYon Choi, as well as her former teachers: Steven Philcox and Dr. Enrico Elisi at the University of Toronto, Ken Marple at the University Settlement Music & Arts School, and Rachel Yu, all of whom have inspired her passion for music and have guided her to discover her unique artistic voice.
Naomi has also participated in masterclasses and festivals throughout North America and Europe, such as the Pianofest in the Hamptons, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Domaine Forget International Academy for Music & Dance, and the Texas State International Piano Festival, where she has studied with leading artists including Michelle Cann, Richard Goode, Soyeon Kate Lee, Jerome Lowenthal, Benedetto Lupo, and Boris Slutsky.
Her transformative experience with her current and past mentors has inspired her to work with younger students as a private piano teacher. She endeavours to help all students, regardless of their natural musical aptitude, connect to music on a human level.
(October 2025)
PC: Danielle Sum