Ray Arthur Wang
| Ray Arthur Wang | |
|---|---|
 RAW speaking at star dedication on Cinco De Mayo 2007 (Photo Credit: Dane Andrew) |
Ray Arthur Wang (born Raymond Wang) is an American filmmaker/entrepreneur, known in particular for human and animal rights activism.[1][2] He is also a retired concert pianist.
Raised in Livermore, California, Wang (pronounced Wong) acquired a PhD and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with music minor from University of California, Berkeley.[3] As one of the five finalists for the highest award of the University Medal, he won numerous honors[4] including the National Science Foundation Fellowship,[5] Stanford Graduate Fellowship (Ric Weiland Family Fellow),[6] Robert Gordon Sproul Award,[7] Top Prize from the National Electrical Engineering Honor Society (Eta Kappa Nu),[8] Fellowship from the National Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi),[9] as well as membership in Phi Beta Kappa.
A self-taught filmmaker, Wang founded Raw Power Productions in 2004 with one main mission: social change.[10] On one of many stops on the film festival circuit, his feature directorial debut Carma (2005) was declared "Best Picture" and Wang "Indie Auteur of the Year" for his work as director, writer, producer, composer, and actor on his supernatural thriller.[11] "Wang is a director to watch," claimed Film Threat.[12] Featuring Academy Award nominee Karen Black,[13] Carma premiered as a Special Presentation at Cinequest Film Festival under the name Compartment[14] and would go on to make history in 2006 as first feature film to launch exclusively online via streaming DVD-quality pay-per-view.[15] For the second project of the team that was invited to the Sundance Producers' Conference in 2006, Wang was a producer on the award-winning human rights documentary and pioneer in online film fund raising,[16] Tapestries of Hope (2009),[17][18][19] featuring Betty Makoni, one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009,[20] and released September 28, 2010 nationwide in over 100 theaters.[21] Then, the San Francisco Chronicle praised Wang's debut directorial 35mm film The Profile (2010) for evoking memories of the infamous Wen Ho Lee case on its 10th Anniversary.[22] (Film Threat stated in its three and a half stars review of the film, "The Profile feels timeless but is also clearly modern as we look at the recent illegal immigration laws enacted by Arizona.")[23] A January 2011 series of encore screenings pairing Tapestries of Hope and The Profile resulted in a review of both by noted film critic Richard von Busack in the Metro Silicon Valley.[24] Switching to the RED camera, Wang recently finished post-production for his latest short When Sally Met Rascal... (2011), starring Oscar nominee Sally Kirkland and Rascal The World's Ugliest Dog, about the homeless condition.[25][26][27]
Wang started formal piano training at the age of five, shortly after his perfect pitch and ability to play by ear were noticed. Having won many piano competitions,[28] Wang was invited to perform as piano soloist with symphony orchestra over 10 times,[29][30][31][32][33] starting at age 10 when he won the Livermore-Amador Symphony's Concerto Competition.[34] After a guest piano appearance with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra for the U.S. Premiere of Philip Glass' Songs of Milarepa in 1999,[35][36] he would go on to win the Stanford Concerto Competition in 2000, performing Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto with them.[37] In 2006, a year before Wang retired from the classical piano concertizing scene, The Oakland Tribune wrote in reference to his performance of Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto, "Wang received the Diablo Symphony's most vociferous ovation ever."[38]
[edit] References
- ^ G. Allen Johnson (April 22, 2010). "California Independent Film Festival". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/22/NSHR1CS23A.DTL. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Help Animals By Doing Normal Facebook Stuff". Allfacebook.com. http://www.allfacebook.com/2008/01/help-animals-by-doing-normal-facebook-stuff/. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "rawpp". IndieGoGo.com. http://www.indiegogo.com/individual/view/157. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Student Awards | EECS at UC Berkeley". Eecs.berkeley.edu. http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Students/Awards/. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://sgf.stanford.edu/news/index.html
- ^ "Cardinal Chronicle : 11/00". News.stanford.edu. November 1, 2000. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2000/november1/column-111.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.alumni.berkeley.edu/Alumni/Cal_Monthly/December_1998/Alumni_Almanac.asp
- ^ http://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu:8721/files/content/yearbook/yearbook-2000.pdf
- ^ "1999–2000 Fellows". Tbp.org. http://www.tbp.org/pages/About/Programs/Fellowship/FellowsArchive/1999-00.cfm. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "The Official Website For Raw Power Productions, Inc". Rawpp.com. http://www.rawpp.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://barebonesfilmfest00.tripod.com/id102.html
- ^ "Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies". Film Threat. April 11, 2006. http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=8904. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.stanforddaily.com/cgi-bin/?p=1020868
- ^ Peter Canavese. "Cinequest 15 (Mar. 2–13, 2005)". Groucho Reviews. http://www.grouchoreviews.com/features/41. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ Schuk, Carolyn (January 3, 2007). "Be Afraid, Steven Spielberg, Be Very Afraid". Voxilla.com. http://voxilla.com/2007/01/03/be-afraid-steven-spielberg-be-very-afraid-137. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech-Culture/2008/0731/auteur-shop-your-movie-to-the-soc-net-set/(page)/2
- ^ "Tapestries of Hope". Tapestries of Hope. http://tapestriesofhope.com/. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.independentnews.com/fullstory1.php?arch_id=192
- ^ "Child rape survivor saves 'virgin myth' victims". CNN. June 4, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/04/cnnheroes.betty.makoni/index.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "CNN Heroes 2011 – Everyday People Changing the World – Special Reports from". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/index.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "TapestriesOfHope". Screenvision. http://www.screenvision.com/s/showing/TapestriesOfHope. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "California Independent Film Festival – SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. April 22, 2010. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-22/entertainment/20859908_1_wen-ho-lee-asian-americans-hometown-festival. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "The Profile". Film Threat. May 20, 2010. http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/22015/. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.rawpp.com/Metro.pdf
- ^ "Cleveland International Film Festival :: March 22 – April 1, 2012 / Festival / Films / When Sally Met Rascal... (2010), Ray Arthur Wang". Clevelandfilm.org. April 1, 2011. http://www.clevelandfilm.org/festival/films/2011/when-sally-met-rascal. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://santacruz.slated.com/2011/films/whensallymetrascal_rayarthurwang_santacruz2011
- ^ "Bay Area Showcase". CAIFF. http://www.caiff.org/bayareashowcase.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu/pubs/98_10_nl.pdf
- ^ "Diablo Symphony". Diablo Symphony. June 5, 2005. http://www.diablosymphony.org/04-05Season.htm. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "CV Chamber Orchestra-Players Pages". Cvorchestra.org. May 20, 2011. http://www.cvorchestra.org/Players/. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "PERFORM / See and hear: Immerse yourself in the ever-changing world of the stage – muse over cloning, laugh at Martin Short, cry at 'The Glass Menagerie,' check out those famous 'BBB' hats". San Francisco Chronicle. May 11, 2006. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/11/NSGE9IMFDG1.DTL&hw=thurs&sn=021&sc=724. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/morguepdf/2006/2006_05_05.pls.section1.pdf
- ^ Lesher Center for the Arts (October 7, 2007). ""Symphonic Brilliance" Featuring Pianist Ray Wang and Diablo Symphony". Goldstar. http://www.goldstar.com/events/walnut-creek-ca/diablo-symphony-symphonic-brilliance.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.livamsymph.org/brochures-compwinners/LASCompetitionWinners.pdf
- ^ "On tap at Dinkelspiel: Big Band jazz and Glass premiere". News-service.stanford.edu. November 17, 1999. http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/1999/november17/jazz-1117.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://www.21st-centurymusic.com/ML210305.pdf
- ^ "The Leading News Modo Site on the Net". newsmodo.com. http://www.newsmodo.com/2005/02/20/pianist-ready-challenge/display.jsp?id=4941883. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ http://wireless.stanford.edu/~rayw/OaklandTribune_Rach3.html
