Praised as a “big pianist, big musician, big potential” with “compelling artistry that draws the listeners in and envelops them with musical joy,” Hong Kong-native pianist Ho Yan Agnes Wan was named a finalist (the only solo pianist among the finalists) at the 2012 International Web Concert Hall Competition. She has also received awards at the Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition, Artists International Debut Auditions, the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, Loyola Concerto/Aria Competition, University of Iowa All-University Concerto/Aria Competition, University of Iowa Chamber Music Competition, and the Hong Kong Open Piano Competition.

An active performer, she has given solo recitals in about 15 states and the District of Columbia in the United States, as well as in Canada, France, and Hong Kong. She has given live recital broadcasts on various radio stations including WFMT - Chicago, WUOL - Louisville, and WPLN - Nashville. Among the highlights of her recital venues are Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York, the American Cathedral in Paris, the Banff Centre for the Arts (where she was a resident artist in 2003-04), Steinway Halls and Galleries in various cities, the University of Hong Kong, Niles Gallery at the University of Kentucky, Sherwood Conservatory,  fine arts high schools, and many established concert series at various churches, cathedrals, and concert facilities at public libraries. As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with the Loyola Chamber Orchestra, the University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra, Maryville Orchestra, and the Columbia County Civic Orchestras. In addition, she has also performed in joint concerts with other musicians in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy.

Her debut compact disc recording, “Robert Schumann: Romance at the Piano,” released on Soundset Recordings label in late 2012, received critical acclaim from music critic Jerry Dubins (with the Fanfare Magazine): “… Wan plays these Schumann pieces as expressively and poetically as anyone I’ve heard, always placing her technical mastery at the service of Schumann’s ever-inventive musical imagination. This is an especially well-presented recital, as beautifully played as it is recorded. … as much for your sake as for Wan’s, I’d urge you to obtain a copy of it. You won’t be disappointed; I promise.”

As a clinician, Agnes has taught at various universities including Lipscomb University, and the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. She has been an active conference presenter of various topics on piano performance and teaching, and has adjudicated for a number of youth piano competitions, most notably the United States Open Music Competition. Many of her own students at the Professional Piano Academy of Nashville, which she established in 2010, have also been honored at local and regional piano competitions. Her Book, "Physical and Mental Issues in Piano Performance: The Interrelationships between Physical Tension, Performance Anxiety, and Memorization Strategies," published by VDM-Verlag in 2008, has reported been recommended as a reference book for piano pedagogy courses at a number of universities.  

Agnes holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa and an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She also studied at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Loyola University New Orleans. Her teachers have included Gabriel Kwok, Nancy Loo, Jac McCracken, Uriel Tsachor, James Tocco, and Michael Chertock. Passionate about Bach's music, she also received tutelage specifically on the interpretation of Bach's keybaord works from the renowned Chinese pianist Yuan Sheng, who studied intensively with Bach expert Rosalyn Tureck.