Praised for a performance that “brought out [Kaupstin’s Sonatina’s] saucy flavor, and it was pure fun,” and for playing with “such technical ease and a sense of the idiom that it felt ‘tossed off’ – a striking thing to behold” (New York Concert Review), pianist William Petrarch Hsieh has emerged as one of the most compelling young artists of his generation. His natural musicality, stylistic poise, and instinctive stage presence have already earned him numerous accolades and growing recognition in the United States.

William has won awards in numerous national and international competitions, including First Prize at the Catholic University of America Piano Competition (2025); Best Thomas Hulbert Piece Prize at the Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition (2024); Third Prize at the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition (2024); Third Prize at the Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford (2024); First Prize at the National Chamber Ensemble Young Artist Competition (2023); and First Prize & Best Performance of a Chinese Piece at the International Young Artist Piano Competition (2023). He also holds First Prize in the Miriam Shields Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition, is a Gold Medalist of the Seattle International Piano Festival Classical Viennese Festival, and won First Prize at the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition (along with the Kern Foundation Aspiration Award).

William has performed at a variety of notable venues, including Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Cary Hall at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York, Sala Antonio Junior Soto at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, the Embassy of Bulgaria, the Italian Embassy, the Kosciuszko Foundation in Washington, D.C., and the National Gallery of Art. He has also performed multiple times at the Kennedy Center, including the Millennium Stage, the REACH, and the Concert Hall, where he took part in youth artist events that inspired him to pursue music with even greater dedication.

William is also deeply committed to community engagement. He regularly performs at nursing homes, hospitals, and community centers, sharing music with seniors, patients, and healthcare workers. He has provided piano lessons to seniors at Sunrise of Bethesda, offering accessible music education to residents who expressed interest or curiosity.

Having lived in both Virginia and Maryland, William is currently a student in the International Baccalaureate Magnet Program at Richard Montgomery High School. He balances rigorous academics with an active performing schedule and ongoing repertoire study. With each new season, he continues to deepen his artistic voice while staying grounded in kindness, curiosity, and love for the music he plays.