Bing Wang, who joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as associate concertmaster in 1994, didn’t choose the violin so much as the violin chose her. Her father was a first violinist with the Shanghai Symphony for 25 years; her mother taught the instrument. Wang began studying violin with her parents at age 6.
Her destiny seemingly sealed, she entered the middle school of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she was concertmaster of the school orchestra and graduated with highest honors. She came to the United States in 1985 on a scholarship and studied with Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Institute before going on to receive a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Glenn Dicterow.
It wasn’t long before she joined the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as principal second violin, staying there for some three years before decamping to the City of Angels and the LA Phil. Since 2009, she has also served as guest concertmaster of her hometown band, the Shanghai Symphony.
At the same time, she’s been able to cultivate a unique solo career. In September 1997, during the LA Phil’s celebration of the Brahms anniversary year, she performed the composer’s Double Concerto at the Hollywood Bowl. She made her Walt Disney Concert Hall concerto debut in May 2005 and also appears annually as both concertmaster and soloist at the Bowl in concerts led by composer John Williams.
She is also active as a chamber musician and champion of contemporary music and, since 2012, has been an adjunct associate professor at the USC Thornton School of Music.
SF Classical Voice recently caught up with the uber-busy Wang, who discussed her working relationship with Williams and her attraction to new music, as well as her thoughts on Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel’s impending departure from the LA Phil. This conversation has been edited for concision and clarity.
Do you remember your audition with the LA Phil?
It was May 1994, and the audition happened on two different dates. The first day was the preliminary, and I don’t know how many [violinists] were there, but I was told I [had] advanced to the final. There were 10 people from within the orchestra auditioning along with me and one other person advancing. The fact that there were only two rounds and no screen in that second round — I thought I wouldn’t have a chance.
I’d done very well with blind auditions in the past — when people couldn’t see who I was. I wore my sneakers and felt very confident. And I had won principal second in Cincinnati [via] blind auditions, so I felt good about that. I was so relaxed [because] I had no expectations at that point.
I remember when the personnel manager told me I had won the audition. Literally, my jaw dropped. “It’s not possible.” Then a lot of things happened very quickly [because] one never knows what life has in store and what opportunity leads to another.
One opportunity has been working with John Williams. Can you please talk about your 25-year relationship with him. How did it begin, how has it evolved, and what have some of the highlights been? And — most importantly — are you a Star Wars fan?
It started in the summer of 1998. He already had been conducting annually at the Bowl since the late 1970s. He would give the concertmaster a solo in those concerts so that there was some variety. I missed 1994 through 1998; he didn’t know me. “Who’s this youngish person sitting there in the first chair?” he might have thought.
Then he gave me a scene from [the 1995 film] Sabrina, [and] we can say the rest is history. He adored my solo. He was so fond of my playing, and we have been collaborating every year, as well as outside of this orchestra — in galas, with other orchestras in L.A., and outside of L.A. It’s been incredible.
In terms of highlights, the 40th anniversary of his Bowl debut [in 2018], when Steven Spielberg was onstage introducing the program for the weekend, [is definitely one]. In 2022, Spielberg was also there, and I was playing [the solo from] Schindler’s List. It’s been countless times now, [and] it’s always a surreal and moving experience for me, especially in the presence of [the director].
Of course, I’m a Star Wars fan. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen [the films], maybe not as many as some of the other fans, but I do have to say I’ve played [the music] more than [almost anyone else].
I’m wondering about your attraction to new music and your participation in the LA Phil’s Green Umbrella concerts.
I have a curiosity to see what every new piece is about. That’s why I do quite a lot of [new music]. In the orchestra, we’re obligated to play [certain pieces], but Green Umbrella is a voluntary thing. More often I do those because I’m curious, [but] I do have my preferences. There are some parts of new music that I mostly like to avoid.
Such as?
I’m uncomfortable with microtones; I feel I’m not confident. There are people who say they’re confident, but I get very confused.
Selfishly, I think [new music] keeps my mind sharp, and that’s why I like the challenges. I want to see if I still have it, to make my brain work. You also [get a] reward — the composer can give you real feedback.
You’re also active as a chamber musician. With your busy schedule, how do you find time for that?
The reason I’m active in chamber music [is that] I push myself to do it. It’s not that I have time to kill and not that I do it because I’m bored. I do it because it stimulates me in a different way than teaching. Orchestral playing benefits teaching, [and] teaching benefits playing. Chamber music is different; [the musicians are] really in charge. You can’t sit back and be passive and follow.
You have to be sensitive. You have to make decisions and compromise about creating something together, come toward the same result, the same goal. That part of music-making is extremely rewarding, even though it’s time-consuming.
What are your thoughts on Gustavo Dudamel leaving the LA Phil at the end of the 2025–2026 season? Is it time to hire a woman as music director?
It’s been almost two years since he announced that, and I’m still in the process of [accepting that] yes, he’s leaving. We still love him; we adore him. [But] 17 years [the length of his tenure] is a long time. We are in the process of taking our time [because] finding someone after Dudamel is not a very easy task.
Is it going to be a woman? I don’t think I’m looking specifically [at that], but we have been inviting a lot of conductors, and I think [the orchestra has] a very open mind. We review [the candidates], we look at them, and we pay attention to who is out there. Whenever we have guest conductors, we have the opportunity to give feedback. Everybody is invited to do it, but it’s not mandatory.
Do you have any advice for young violinists?
Passion and dedication is what it comes down to. You can be a musician, but after many, many years, if there’s not enough passion, it becomes a chore, and you lose interest. If you add up all the hours, what did you get? It doesn’t make sense unless you really love what you do. When you’re an artist — not only a musician but an artist of any kind — you have to love what you do.
It’s also important that you know what you want to be — as early as possible — hopefully by college or during college. After a master’s degree, if you don’t know, you’ve taken too long. Being efficient and organized and purposeful is very important. For me, I credit my teachers and the choices that I made. That made a difference in my professional path.
I’ve been considered [an] audition guru. My few students every year mostly leave with jobs. I’m very particular; I train them. Students that come to me are very particular also. They come to me for that.
Speaking of teachers, one of yours, Berl Senofsky, once said, “Music is a higher calling.” Can you elaborate on that?
First, when I look out to the audience — people coming and looking forward to coming [to a concert] — I feel, “Wow, we’re giving something you will hopefully always remember, even though for us it could be just like a job.” We have a job in a very fancy-looking building, and we can [sometimes] feel like, “OK, I’m not really in love with this.” I feel there are times when not everyone’s going to love everything we do. But when I look out [at the audience], I always feel OK. They are here because they want to see what we can do, to hear what we can produce.
At the same time, I’m passionate about teaching — in China [and the U.S.] — and giving back. I feel seeing students succeed and making a difference in the next generation — it’s a different kind of reward than playing. When you see these students and what they’re doing and what they love about what they’re doing, it’s such [an honor]. And this is my calling.
