Michael Hong to Perform at Reconciliation Ceremony Saturday

When eleven year old Michael Zhijia Hong takes the stage for his solo piano piece, “Sunflower,” at the second annual Reconciliation Celebration, Saturday, March 5, at Washington College,  it won’t be his first performance in front of a large audience.

Michael Hong

His musical career began in 2003, at age four and a half, when he expressed an interest in the piano, and began taking lessons. In short order, he was entering competitions, winning a silver medal in the class of Piano 6 Years and under at 2005 Montreal Classical Music Competition, and a gold medal at the same event a year later.

Born in Lanzhou, China, Michael moved to Montreal, Canada, with his parents in 2001. Five years later, the family moved again, this time to Chestertown. He attended second grade at Garnett Elementary School, returning to his birthplace for his third and fourth grades. While in Lanzhou, Michael studied Chinese language and traditional culture, including ancient history, calligraphy, drawing, music, pingpong and Olympic math. He is currently a sixth grader at Kent County Middle School, and taking classical piano lessons with Washington College faculty member Grace Kim.

Michael’s mother, Jin Guo, described “Sunflower,” as very challenging. “The gaps between the highest and lowest notes are a big stretch for small hands,” she explained over the phone. A popular Chinese country song in 1950, it was rearranged for piano by Wanghua Zhu and regained favor in 2000. The piece evokes the happiness that farmers felt when they worked together in the fields on a sunny summer day. Michael will also accompany Reconciliation Ceremony singers with a rousing rendition of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.”

According to his mother, Jin Guo, Michael practices piano every day and never stops his piano lessons no matter where he is – Canada, Chestertown or China. And while music is one of his favorite hobbies, there are a couple of other things he likes: pingpong and basketball.