A gifted violinist who started playing the violin at the age of 5, Wenjie Yang, also known as Mike Yang has believed that practice and hard work are the essential ingredients of success. His character is marked by modesty and humbleness and he attributes all of his accomplishments to his work ethic, which he began developing when he was much younger. Born into a rather traditional Chinese family, he faced much pressure from a young age and his ambition grew as a result of his parents’ high expectation.

Yang is grateful for his parents, who helped and pushed him to excellence every step of the way. He wasn’t particularly fond of playing the violin as he found it extremely difficult and tiring. But his parents held him accountable and made sure that he put in his efforts. They would drive him around for violin lessons every single week and always provided him with the best resources they could afford. Yang believes that they deserve half of his credits.