This is the Legend Of... – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In 1984, he was the first Canadian to win the LeedsInternational Piano Competition.  That same year, he performed for Queen Elizabeth II.

8 years later, he judged the inaugural edition of the Honens International Piano Competition, Canada’s Grand Slam of international piano competitions.

Meet Jon Kimura Parker (known as “Jackie” to friends new and old), an award-winning pianist who also serves as the Artistic Director of Honens.

In this episode, Jackie and Amos discuss Jackie’s trailblazing career throughout Juilliard, throughout the 1984 Leeds Competition, Britain’s Grand Slam of international piano competitions, and beyond.

2025 is also a special year, as the newest edition of the Honens International Piano Competition will take place in October.  Jackie explains the philosophy of the “Complete Artist” at Honens, as well as the innovations that have come out of such a philosophy in judging, in competition organisation, and in music education.

Jackie’s website: https://www.jonkimuraparker.com/

Honens’ website: https://www.honens.com/

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.auOther music composed by: Amos Vang

- CHAPTERS -

0:00 – Introduction

3:28 – HONE IN ON HONENS!

3:43 – What inspired Jon Kimura Parker to pursue piano?

6:31 – What were the most profound lessons that Jon KimuraParker learned from each of his piano teachers?

17:19 – When did Jon Kimura Parker feel that he was readyfor Leeds?

21:08 – How did Jon Kimura Parker prepare for Leeds?

24:12 – Many musicians still work regularly with coacheseven after going professional.  Pianists, on the other hand, do not really do this.

25:29 – A pianist’s mindset tends to be very independent andeven isolated.

29:01 – Jon Kimura Parker describes every single round ofthe Leeds International Piano Competition!

33:41 – Jon Kimura Parker actually had a MEMORY SLIP at Leeds!

35:15 – Jon Kimura Parker performed the Barber Sonata atLeeds, with a BROKEN SOSTENUTO PEDAL!

38:35 – Jon Kimura Parker performed the Brahms PianoConcerto No. 1 at the finals of Leeds.

41:13 – Jon Kimura Parker won 1st prize, but something HILARIOUS happened!

44:10 – Queen Elizabeth II commissioned Jon Kimura Parker toperform for her.  This was her reaction.

47:08 – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were genuinelykind, caring people.

49:16 – Amos performed Liszt’s Dante Sonata in thepast.  This is how he handled the difficult technical parts.

50:23 – Liszt, Beethoven, and Romantic era composers hadSIGNIFICANTLY lighter pianos.  Modern pianos are very heavy.

53:17 – Heavier pianos actually give good experience forpianists by training up the stability of their technique.

55:23 – Jon Kimura Parker appeared on a children’s TV show,“Under the Umbrella Tree”.

1:02:16 – Amos Vang uses sports analogies and terminologiesto explain classical music competitions and festivals.

1:03:33 – Jon Kimura Parker has the difficult job of deciding who wins Honens.

1:04:05 – What is musicality to Jon Kimura Parker?

1:07:39 – Who is Esther Honens?  This is her legend.

1:13:46 – A day in the life of Honens Artistic Director JonKimura Parker

1:17:02 – In 2018, one of the jury members cancelled!

1:20:00 – Curation of Honens content during the pandemic

1:22:34 – Managing Nicolas Namoradze’s and Illia Ovcharenko’s careers during the pandemic

1:24:14 – What is the Complete Artist to Jon Kimura Parker?

1:34:27 – Nicolas Namoradze got a degree in neuroscienceduring the pandemic.

1:36:09 – How does Honens define the CompleteArtist?

1:42:37 – Honens’s approach challenges many misconceptionsof classical music

1:43:04 – How can new audiences watch and enjoy Honens andother piano competitions?

1:44:50 – Jon Kimura Parker explains Honens’s judgingprocess in FULL DETAIL.

1:50:57 – Canada has the potential to become a majorclassical music centre on the world stage!

1:54:52 – What is Jon Kimura Parker’s advice to those whowant to pursue a career in classical music, especially piano?

At age 5,he made his professional piano performing debut at Carnegie Hall.  Yes, 5 YEARS OLD.

             At age 11, he performed for a Canadian prime minister.

             At age 14, he won his first international piano competition.

             By the age of 16, he won at least 5 internationalpiano competitions, and was the youngest winner of Le Prix Cortot in world history.

             How old is he right now?  17 YEARS OLD!

 Not only that, but he will represent Canada on his Road to Warsaw, at the Olympics of piano, the International ChopinCompetition in Warsaw, Poland on October 2025. Simultaneously, he will begin his academic pursuits at HarvardUniversity and New England Conservatory, still at 17 YEARS OLD.

            Join Amos Vang as he features the living legend of Ryan Wang, virtuoso pianist and 2024 BBC Young Musician of theYear, on his meteoric rise from prodigy to seasoned performer.  Ryan discusses his inspirations of becoming a pianist, his deep connection with musicality, his experiences at winningcompetitions such as the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition, and the unbelievable potential that he holds as a pianist.

            If you thought you knew legendary, wait till you tune into this story!

Ryan's Instagram - @ryanwangpianist

Ryan's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ryanwangpianist8416

Ryan's website: https://ryanwangpiano.com/

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0.  www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang, Fryderyk Chopin, andtheir respective composers

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 – Introduction

5:37 – Reminiscing on the Canadian Chopin Competition

6:59 – What inspired Ryan Wang to pursue piano?

8:46 – Learning a musical instrument is very common in Asianfamilies.

9:43 – Ryan Wang’s first piano teachers shaped his musicaland even life skill foundations.

12:36 – What does Ryan Wang remember about his Carnegie Hall debut at 5 YEARS OLD?!

14:18 – How does Ryan prepare for piano competitions?

16:20 – Are the Chopin and Cliburn Competitions MOREDIFFICULT than the Olympics?!

20:24 – How does Ryan Wang adapt to different pianos andconcert venues?

24:05 – Ryan Wang did not actually know what the CanadianChopin Competition concert venue looked like!

26:08 – Ryan Wang performed alongside Bruce Liu and Yunchan Lim in 2023.

28:10 – What sparked Ryan's Road to Warsaw?

30:50 – Ryan Wang won the International YOUTH ChopinCompetition.  What were the most important lessons that he learned from there?

32:05 – A pianist is at their best when they are performingtheir heart out.

32:52 – Ryan Wang takes us through his adventure at the2025 Canadian Chopin Competition.

34:33 – Amos Vang CRIED when seeing Ryan Wang’s performance of Chopin’s Concerto in E Minor at the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition!

37:41 – Chopin’s Concerto in E Minor, especially the 2ndmovement, is beautiful.  Here’s why.

38:54 – What is musicality to Ryan Wang?

40:07 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Ryan Wang?

42:17 – Musicians are humans, too.  People tend to focus too much on the celebrity aspect of artists.

44:28 – What surprised Ryan Wang the most about Chopin?

49:59 – What are some fun, unconventional methods of pianopractice that Ryan Wang uses?

51:42 – How does Ryan Wang master the art of bel cantosinging in piano performance?

54:53 – Pausing in music has the same emphatic effect aspausing in speech, especially when it comes to lawyering or announcing sports.

55:49 – To what extent does Ryan Wang balance his ownmusical philosophy with the composer’s musical philosophy?

57:54 – How does Ryan Wang develop and evolve his musicalstyle? (Hint: there’s a bit of Descartes influence here!)

1:00:51 – What are the largest misconceptions that Ryan Wanghas personally seen about classical music?

1:11:15 – What are the most rewarding things that Ryan Wanghas experienced in his career?

1:13:03 – What is Ryan Wang’s mindset and game plan goinginto the main rounds of the 2025 International Chopin Competition?

It's difficult enough to get to therapy. It's even more heartbreaking when you realize that no matter how hard you tried, it didn't work. And it's NOT your fault.

Unfortunately, this is the reality facing many Asians and Asian-Americans. On this sobering episode, Amos Vang and Godwin Chan discuss the difficult reality of the cultural limits of therapy and the clashing of the WEIRD mindset (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) with non-WEIRD mindsets. Amos and Godwin also explain in more detail the introvert experience, as well as how extroverts can relate to introverts in a culturally extroverted Western world.

DISCLAIMER: this episode does NOT aim to give any medical advice at all. Nor is it claiming that ALL therapy fails (therapy can work for some people). This episode simply shines light on an important yet socially taboo topic: that therapy is not necessarily for everyone, and that therapy must improve in order to accommodate more people.

Music by: Amos Vang

Website: https://www.thisisthelegendof.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-the-legend-of/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisthelegendof/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisistheLegendOf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4f6wBCVf4bHOkf6Gxb4kb7

Amazon: https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0CHXVZDSY?qid=1694649289&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=yW4V4kLXM2THpddw&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=4DEBBGB872W8C893VWEB&pageLoadId=IMnSONEv6qRwv8k9&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c

IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-this-is-the-legend-of-123106291/

An episode 20+ years in the making. Scientist, venture capitalist, angel investor, podcaster. This is the Legend Of Godwin Chan. Godwin will also be a regular feature on the podcast and will co-host some episodes. Amos Vang and Godwin Chan have been friends for over 20 years: since kindergarten/Grade 1! Over these decades, the two friends have had thousands of fascinating conversations about metaphysical philosophy, epistemological philosophy, cultural philosophy, classical musical philosophy, quantum physics, string theory, T-symmetry and the theoretical reversal of time and entropy, evolutionary biology, peak oil, civilizational collapse, causality, T-symmetry, and many other topics. #philosophy #startup #culture #conversation #legend Join Amos Vang as he features Godwin’s career and adventures. The conversation gets REALLY good starting at about 57:00 onwards, and it exemplifies their off-camera, off-mic conversations. Such topics include (but are not limited to): - the limitations of the schooling system, - cultural humility and understanding of Western and non-Western cultures, - introversion vs. extroversion, - Western cultural philosophy vs Chinese cultural philosophy [i.e. Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, etc.] (and why Chinese culture tends to be a bit better at mediation than Western cultures), - Dunbar’s Number, - Free will vs predeterminism, predeterminism vs. predestination; why free will (arguably) does NOT exist, why predestination (arguably) also does NOT exist, and why predetermination (arguably) exists, - Meaning vs. no meaning, intrinsic meaning vs. the illusion of meaning, Kierkegaardian Existentialism, Camusian Absurdism, Schopenhauerian determinism, heat death of the universe, human extinction, and what that means for a human’s life. You can follow Godwin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godwinhschan/ And you can connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/godwinhschan/ Music by: Scott Buckley https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/ And by Amos Vang Website: https://www.thisisthelegendof.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-the-legend-of/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisthelegendof/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisistheLegendOf Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4f6wBCVf4bHOkf6Gxb4kb7 Amazon: https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0CHXVZDSY?qid=1694649289&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=yW4V4kLXM2THpddw&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=4DEBBGB872W8C893VWEB&pageLoadId=IMnSONEv6qRwv8k9&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-this-is-the-legend-of-123106291/

Step aside, Michael Buffer. A new announcer has stepped into the ring of history. Join Amos Vang as he features Carlos Verde, international fight night ring announcer for United Boxing Promotions! For over 10 years, Carlos’s adventures in journalism has brought him everywhere from international level women’s hockey to university basketball, and now to boxing and MMA. Carlos’s exceptional skills in public presentation, writing, and communication have paved such a legendary pathway over these years, and he’s even announced fights on DAZN and ESPN! The two long time friends reminisce on their adventures in university and professional sports announcing, as well as the most important career lessons that they have learned from such adventures. You can follow Carlos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cverde29/

There’s mythbusting, and then there’s history mythbusting. Join Amos Vang as he interviews Sebastian Major, a history teacher and host of the award-winning podcast Our Fake History! In a similar vein to This is the Legend Of…, Sebastian focuses on telling the unknown stories of history itself: everywhere from ancient history to classical history to even the history of professional wrestling! In this episode, Amos and Sebastian also emphasize the importance of cultural humility and cultural understanding, particularly in the sense of removing a Eurocentric/Western bias when understanding non-Western cultures and non-Western histories. Amos and Sebastian also discuss the fact that not everything has to follow a Western perspective, and that something can be correct (or even more correct) and does not have to be a Western perspective. You can follow Sebastian at his podcast’s website: https://ourfakehistory.com/ You can follow Sebastian’s Instagram: @ourfakehistory You can subscribe to Sebastian’s podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfakehistory2211 You can follow Sebastian’s podcast Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ourfakehistory Music by: Scott Buckley https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/ And by Amos Vang Website: https://www.thisisthelegendof.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-the-legend-of/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisthelegendof/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisistheLegendOf Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4f6wBCVf4bHOkf6Gxb4kb7 Amazon: https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0CHXVZDSY?qid=1694649289&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=yW4V4kLXM2THpddw&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=4DEBBGB872W8C893VWEB&pageLoadId=IMnSONEv6qRwv8k9&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-this-is-the-legend-of-123106291/

At 25 years old, he became the youngest concertmaster in a North American orchestra.  This is the Legend Of Jonathan Crow, a legendary Canadian violinist, concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and former teacher of another legendary violinist, Kerson Leong.

In this episode, Amos Vang and Jonathan Crow discuss about Jonathan’s marvelous career and experiences in the world of violin.  From performing for the great Sir Yehudi Menuhin, to leading other professional musicians in the interpretation of great compositions, and to directing the Toronto Summer Music Festival, Jonathan has established himself as one of the most respected violinists in the North American music scene. Jonathan also talks about teaching Amos’s cousin, Kerson Leong, and how Kerson has forged his own unique, recognisable style as a violinist from a young age.  Amos and Jonathan also discuss the differences between a Stradivarius violin and a del Gesù violin, and how such violins are crucial for tone colour and performance.

            You can follow Jonathan through the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on Instagram, @torontosymphony

            And through the New Orford String Quartet on Instagram, @torontosummermusic

Music by: Scott Buckley, https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/

   And by Amos Vang.

Website: https://www.thisisthelegendof.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-the-legend-of/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-legend-of/id1711907940

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisthelegendof/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisistheLegendOf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4f6wBCVf4bHOkf6Gxb4kb7

Amazon: https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0CHXVZDSY?qid=1694649289&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=yW4V4kLXM2THpddw&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=4DEBBGB872W8C893VWEB&pageLoadId=IMnSONEv6qRwv8k9&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c

IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-this-is-the-legend-of-123106291/

This is the Legend of Cameron Penney.

            From working as a co-op student for the Fort Frances Times to managing social media in the NHL for the Winnipeg Jets, Cameron has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his career!

Join Amos Vang as he features Cameron’s career and path to the NHL.  Cameron and Amos also reminisce on their times in Ottawa and the Carleton/uOttawa rivalry, and they discuss the difficulties in which the sports and entertainment industry faces in the 21st century.  Cameron also shares the most important lessons that Cameron has learned in his career thus far, and how other professionals can learn from his experience.

            Follow Cameron on Instagram and Twitter @cgrp19

            Follow Cameron’s work with the Winnipeg Jets: @nhljets

Music by: Scott Buckley, https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/

   And by Amos Vang.

Website: https://www.thisisthelegendof.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-the-legend-of/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-legend-of/id1711907940

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisthelegendof/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisistheLegendOf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4f6wBCVf4bHOkf6Gxb4kb7

Amazon: https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0CHXVZDSY?qid=1694649289&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=yW4V4kLXM2THpddw&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=b278ed0a-c3b2-4491-808c-7cb2190a487c&pf_rd_r=4DEBBGB872W8C893VWEB&pageLoadId=IMnSONEv6qRwv8k9&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c

IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-this-is-the-legend-of-123106291/

If you are a Canadian sports fan, then you know who he is.

            James Duthie has spent over 25 years with TSN and has won 4 Canadian Screen Awards for his work.  From the Stanley Cup to the Grey Cup to the Vancouver Olympics to the NBA and everything in between, James tells his numerous stories and the many life lessons that he learned since then, including how sportscasting has changed from the 1980s to the present day.  James also tells the story of how he ALMOST missed Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, and he and Amos reminisce on their times at Carleton University (James in the 1980s, and Amos in the 2010s).

            Follow James on Instagram, @tsnduthie

            Follow James on X (formerly Twitter), @tsnjamesduthie

            Music by: Scott Buckley, https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/

            And by: Amos Vang

            With a special Sportscenter/SportsCentre theme cameo.

Psychotherapy.  Social Work.  Social Science Inventor.  Faculty Professor.  This is the Legend of Dr. Ka Tat Tsang.

            In this episode, Amos features Dr. Ka Tat Tsang, a Hong Kong-born Canadian psychotherapist, about his career and his creation of the internationally acclaimed SSLD system.  More importantly, starting at 50:00 in the episode, Amos and Dr. Tsang talk about their shared Chinese cultural heritage, the unique identity problems facing the Chinese diaspora, and Chinese culture itself.  They also discuss how Chinese people living in Canada (and by extension, in other Western countries) can find balance between their Chinese cultural identity and their Canadian cultural identity.

Professor Tsang’s website: www.kttsang.com

Professor Tsang’s SSLD: ssld.kttsang.com

Check out Professor Tsang’s article, “I Am Chinese, and I Am Not Chinese”: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-am-chinese-a-ka-tat-tsang

Music by: Scott Buckley, https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/

And by: Amos Vang