Perspectives: Yuja Wang - Carnegie Hall
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An artist with breathtaking talent and charismatic stage presence, Grammy Award–nominated pianist Yuja Wang curates a five- concert Perspectives series during Carnegie Hall’s 2018–2019 season, demonstrating the singular blend of technical prowess, keen musical insight, and quicksilver versatility that has established her as one of the world’s finest performers. Ms. Wang’s series offers creative collaborations, reunions with recital partners and artists who have influenced her career, and a night of classical music comedy—all displaying the pianist’s eclectic interests and versatility. Ms. Wang kicks off her Perspectives series in October, performing with a quartet of percussionists headlined by Austrian star Martin Grubinger for a program to include the New York premieres of arrangements of Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps by Grubinger’s father (who is also performing on the program). She returns in February for two concerts, first reuniting with violinist and frequent recital partner Leonidas Kavakos following widespread acclaim for the duo’s exceptional musical chemistry. Ms. Wang returns the following week for a night of lighthearted musical comedy with virtuoso instrumentalists and jokesters Igudesman & Joo. In April, Ms. Wang joins another esteemed colleague, cellist Gautier Capuçon, for a recital of works by Franck and Rachmaninoff. Ms. Wang’s series concludes in May with a performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with fellow Perspectives artist and mentor Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy. Born in Beijing, Yuja Wang was encouraged to pursue music at an early age, starting piano lessons at the age of six and studying at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. She moved to Canada in 1999 and became the youngest student ever enrolled at Mount Royal Conservatory. Ms. Wang was appointed as a Steinway Artist in 2001 and accepted a place at the Curtis Institute of Music to begin studying piano with Gary Graffman the following year. After graduating from Curtis in 2008, she went on to be an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, prompting Gramophone to name her as its 2009 Young Artist of the Year after the debut of her first album. The following year, Ms. Wang was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. She earned a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for her 2011 recording of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Claudio Abbado. Kirk Edwards Perspectives: Yuja Wang 18 | 19
Transcript of Perspectives: Yuja Wang - Carnegie Hall
An artist with breathtaking talent and charismatic stage presence, Grammy Award–nominated pianist Yuja Wang curates a five-concert Perspectives series during Carnegie Hall’s 2018–2019 season, demonstrating the singular blend of technical prowess, keen musical insight, and quicksilver versatility that has established her as one of the world’s finest performers. Ms. Wang’s series offers creative collaborations, reunions with recital partners and artists who have influenced her career, and a night of classical music comedy—all displaying the pianist’s eclectic interests and versatility.Ms. Wang kicks off her Perspectives series in October, performing with a quartet of percussionists headlined by Austrian star Martin Grubinger for a program to include the New York premieres of arrangements of Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps by Grubinger’s father (who is also performing on the program). She returns in February for two concerts, first reuniting with violinist and frequent recital partner Leonidas Kavakos following widespread acclaim for the duo’s exceptional musical chemistry. Ms. Wang returns the following week for a night of lighthearted musical comedy with virtuoso instrumentalists and jokesters Igudesman & Joo. In April, Ms. Wang joins another esteemed colleague, cellist Gautier Capuçon, for a recital of works by Franck and Rachmaninoff. Ms. Wang’s series concludes in May with a performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with fellow Perspectives artist and mentor Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy.Born in Beijing, Yuja Wang was encouraged to pursue music at an early age, starting piano lessons at the age of six and studying at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. She moved to Canada in 1999 and became the youngest student ever enrolled at Mount Royal Conservatory. Ms. Wang was appointed as a Steinway Artist in 2001 and accepted a place at the Curtis Institute of Music to begin studying piano with Gary Graffman the following year. After graduating from Curtis in 2008, she went on to be an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, prompting Gramophone to name her as its 2009 Young Artist of the Year after the debut of her first album. The following year, Ms. Wang was awarded
the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. She earned a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for her 2011 recording of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Claudio Abbado.
Kirk Edwards
Perspectives: Yuja Wang
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Friday, October 26 at 8 PM | Stern/Perelman
Yuja Wang, PianoMartin Grubinger, PercussionAlexander Georgiev, PercussionLeonhard Schmidinger, PercussionMartin Grubinger Sr., Percussion
Program to includeBARTÓK Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (arr. for one piano and percussion by Martin Grubinger Sr., NY Premiere)
STRAVINSKY Le sacre du printemps (arr. Martin Grubinger Sr., NY Premiere)
This performance is proudly supported by ICBC U.S. Region.
Wednesday, February 6 at 8 PM | Stern/Perelman
Leonidas Kavakos, ViolinYuja Wang, Piano
Monday, February 11 at 7:30 PM | Zankel
Yuja Wang, PianoIgudesman & JooYuja Wang’s artistry knows no bounds. So does her sense of fun. In what promises to be an evening of laughter and dizzying virtuosity, she joins the irrepressible classical music comedy duo Igudesman & Joo. The duo has been bringing laughter to concert halls all around the world, often with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and their videos on YouTube have gathered more than 45 million views. The last time the duo played at Carnegie Hall, Billy Joel and Joshua Bell jumped on stage for surprise encores. Be prepared for an anything-goes concert.
Wednesday, April 10 at 8 PM | Stern/Perelman
Gautier Capuçon, CelloYuja Wang, Piano
FRANCK Violin Sonata in A Major (transc. for cello)
RACHMANINOFF Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19
Wednesday, May 1 at 8 PM | Stern/Perelman
New World SymphonyAmerica’s Orchestral AcademyMichael Tilson Thomas, Artistic Director and ConductorYuja Wang, Piano
JULIA WOLFE New Work (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 5BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Perspectives: Michael Tilson Thomas
Sponsored by KPMG LLP
Support for the 125 Commissions Project is provided by members of Carnegie Hall’s Composer Club.
Yuja Wang
Ian Douglas
