Meet Alyssa Wang | Conductor, Violinist, Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Wang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
There’s an art piece on the wall of my music studio in Boston that says, “Great things never come from a comfort zone.” And that’s a mantra that really resonates with me. I think from a young age I’ve always sought out those moments of adrenaline and pressure because it’s highly motivating and, frankly, thrilling. Whenever I’m performing or doing something I’m a little uncomfortable with, I feel extremely in-the-moment, not thinking about what’s coming up tomorrow or what I did yesterday. Right here, right now. One thing to remember is that taking risks is relative. Most times, what we perceive as risky actually has very little concrete consequences if we fail. Trying a new hobby, getting up in front of an audience, simply trying something new–these are all things where the worst thing that could happen is we don’t do it quite as well as we had hoped. And that’s not so bad! So I say, push yourself to stay outside of your comfort zone so that you can expand your experiences, diversify your skills, and most importantly, learn something new. It’s because of risk-taking that I became a conductor and a composer, two things that I never thought I’d do growing up as a violinist.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Nothing has brought me greater joy than creating the Boston Festival Orchestra! I co-founded this summer orchestra in Boston with Nicholas Brown, who was my classmate at the New England Conservatory of Music, right before the pandemic hit. So because of that, the BFO has had an incredibly unique origin story. Originally, our idea was to make up for the slump in employment opportunities that Boston’s professional musicians experienced every summer. But after Covid hit, we had to become so many other things. One of our points of pride is that we were the first orchestra to perform live in the City of Boston (July 2021) since the 2020 shutdowns. We’re in our third season now, and it’s been amazing seeing its growth. We are in partnership with 10 other nonprofits, we have a community outreach program, we are expanding the size of our orchestra, and we are getting the word out about us. It’s also been very rewarding to be able to instill my own tenants about what makes a great orchestra/organization. For example, it’s really important to us that our musicians are compensated fairly, that our audiences are truly welcomed into the world of classical music, erasing financial barriers, that our programming is exciting and relevant, and that we collaborate with other nonprofits in the area. Starting the BFO was not easy, and maintaining it is an even greater challenge, but I think a big secret to success lies with teamwork. I wouldn’t be able to do this on my own. Nick and I have worked really hard to open our doors to many people, so that we can have as many voices as possible representing our organization.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Boston is an unusual city because it’s so busy in so many different sectors, and yet it’s rather small. There are a few standard places that everyone likes to go to that I think are incredible, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Aquarium, and the Boston Public Gardens. I also really like hanging around good food spots, like Chinatown and this stretch on Harvard Ave. in Allston that is the de facto Koreatown. I always make sure to take guests to Santouka Ramen in Cambridge. I guess I just like Asian food…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My greatest inspiration is my father, Phillip Wang. He tragically passed away in May 2020 after a very unexpected battle with liver cancer. The older I get, the more I see his personality reflected in me. He was a great story-teller, worked all day to support his family, found passion and community in his job, spoiled my mom, my sister, and myself because he loved us, had a huge social circle, and found time to be excellent at a few sports of his choosing. He showed me what it looked like to be charismatic, passionate, driven, and fearless. He bought my first and my second violin, paid for all my private lessons and three music degrees, and never made me question if pursuing music was the right choice. His total support allowed me to focus on my career and make significant strides. My favorite part about being a musician was when I could see how proud he was. I would not be who I am today without him, and every single thing I do every minute of every day is in an effort to make him proud.

Website: alyssa-wang.com

Instagram: @alyssawang1895

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-wang1895/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyssa.wang.315/

Image Credits
Robert Torres