Meet the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Rising Stars

This preview has been provided by the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra* as part of a publicity exchange.

After a months-long search, the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra has selected pianist Jacob Wang and clarinetist Daniel Garcia as their next Rising Stars.

On May 7th at 3:00 p.m., the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra is hosting its annual Rising Stars performance; the young soloists showcase their talents by performing concerto movements accompanied by the orchestra. Jacob Wang will perform the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor by Johannes Brahms, and Daniel Garcia will play the Allegro movement of Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet, Op. 57. The orchestra will flank their performances with Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 and Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 90 in C major, Hob.1:90.

RSVP to the event and see more details on the Facebook event page.

Not only is the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra excited for these two musicians to join the stage, Wang and Garcia are both thrilled to be chosen and are eager to share a bit about themselves with the music community of North Carolina.

Jacob Wang - Pianist
Apex native Jacob Wang began his musical career at five years old playing piano. 

When he was 12 years old, he was given the opportunity to perform at the North Carolina State Capital, one of the two times he has been given the opportunity to perform as a soloist with a full orchestra: “it's always fun to play with an orchestra. It feels very powerful to have so many musicians behind you, and filling up the sound.”

Wang’s educational career began at the North Carolina School of the Arts and has continued at the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelor's in Piano Performance and Business. He is currently working towards a Master's in Piano Pedagogy and Performance and is planning to graduate in 2024.

“I don't think there is a defining moment when I decided I really wanted to pursue music. I started getting into harder pieces, and the music just began to attract me more. It was fulfilling to perform,” Wang said.

Although he has another year before he needs to make any big decisions, Wang has international prospects on the horizon: “I am leaning in the direction of going abroad to study. Just live in Germany for a little bit and soak up the culture. That's where classical music is really strong and everyone there is very supportive.” 

Hear more of Jacob's work on his YouTube channel!

Daniel Garcia - Clarinetist
Daniel Garcia described winning Rising Stars as exactly the triumph he needed during a strenuous semester: “I've always wanted to perform with an orchestra and I've always wanted a turn to do the Nielsen Concerto. It's pretty much seeing a dream come true.”

Garcia grew up in Honduras, where he began playing clarinet at age 11. He then completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Columbia State University Schwab School of Music in Georgia. Now, Garcia resides at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro pursuing a Master’s degree and working with the Western Piedmont Symphony. 

Garcia has performed as a soloist with a full orchestra once before at the 2015 MasterWorks festival. Rising Stars is “the first time,” says Garcia, “that I’m going to be playing at a higher level. I'm competing with people that have already gone through college.”

After Rising Stars, Garcia intends on auditioning for more competitions as well as teaching and composing music. His biggest aspiration is the Carl Nielsen Concerto Competition, one of the largest competitions available for clarinetists in the world.

Through his musical career, Garcia has played with a competitive zest that set him ahead. Recently, and going into the Rising Stars performance, Garcia’s motivations have altered.

“I have changed the way that I think of music. It's not something I need to be the best at. That pretty much changed about two years ago. I really have started to enjoy performing rather than feeling like I'm anxious or that I don't want to make a mistake. I’m like ‘let's go do it, and let's have a fun time.’”

To learn more about Daniel and his work, visit his Instagram.

It's sure to be a fun time, indeed, at the RSO's season finale concert. Join Jacob Wang, Daniel Garcia, and the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra on May 7th at 3:00 p.m. The orchestra is conducted by Dr. Jim Waddelow, and will take place at Jones Auditorium at Meredith College. Tickets can be purchased online, and more information is available on the event listing (see sidebar) and the organization's website.

- copy by Isabella Castineyra

*The Raleigh Symphony Orchestra and CVNC share Andrea McKerlie Luke as an Executive Director, but their publicity exchange follows the same model as a CVNC publicity exchange with any other presenter.

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