Yuja Wang
Encyclopedia
Yuja Wang is a Chinese
classical pianist
. She was born in Beijing
, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music
in Beijing.
Central Conservatory of Music
at age seven and studied there for three years. Wang moved to Canada at age 14 to learn English and study at the Mount Royal University Conservatory in Calgary
.
, Germany. In 2001, she won Third Prize and Special Jury Prize (awarded to an especially superior finalist of less than 20 years in age, prize money of 500,000 Japanese Yen) in the Piano Section at the First Sendai International Music Competition
in Sendai, Japan.
In 2003 Wang made her European debut with the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, Switzerland, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 under the baton of David Zinman
. She made her North American debut in Ottawa
in the 2005-06 season replacing Radu Lupu
performing the Beethoven concerto with Pinchas Zukerman
conducting.
On September 11, 2005, Wang was named a 2006 biennial Gilmore Young Artist award winner, given to the most promising pianists age 21 and younger. As part of the award, she received $15,000, appeared at Gilmore Festival concerts, and had a new piano work commissioned for her.
Starting at age 15, she studied for five years with Gary Graffman
, who was also Lang Lang's
teacher, at the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and graduated in May 2008. She is increasing the number of concerts she is playing, and has "developed a novel reputation" of replacing sick pianists, yet going on "to deliver a knockout performance."
In 2006-2007, she performed with the New York Philharmonic
, the Houston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony
, the NHK Symphony Orchestra
in Japan, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in the Netherlands, the China Philharmonic in Beijing and the Guangzhou
Symphony and the Santa Fe
Chamber Music
Festival.
In March 2007, Wang replaced the legendary pianist Martha Argerich
in concerts held in Boston. Argerich had cancelled her appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
on four subscription concerts from March 8 to March 13. Wang performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, with Charles Dutoit
conducting, receiving highly favorable reviews.
On March 14, 2007, Wang was featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered program.
Wang played twice in Albuquerque in summer 2007, and three concerts in Kansas City
with its Symphony in November 2007.
On January 21, 2008, She played at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, to standing ovations, returned to the stage repeatedly for a triple encore that included Gluck's Mélodie from Orfeo (Wang's transcription, after Giovanni Sgambati
), Turkish March
by Mozart (Volodos's transcription), and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee
(Cziffra
's virtuosic arrangement).
On April 2, 2008, Wang played with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
in Boston Symphony Hall, on a concert originally scheduled to be conducted from the keyboard by Murray Perahia
and she performed in the 2008 Verbier Festival
to great acclaim.
(SPAC), for which she was introduced by SPAC President Marcia White
. Wang was called a "new pianist star", "a phenom", "a whiz", and "a sensation" after her concerto
concerts at SPAC in August 2008.
In her first concert, with the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra, Wang "performed Liszt
’s prodigiously difficult" Sonata in B minor
. A reviewer said that:
Another reviewer wrote that:
She also played Brahms' Horn Trio with the Philadelphia Orchestra
concertmaster, David Kim
, and Philadelphia's principal horn, Jennifer Montone, in which "Wang showed herself entirely capable of playing in ensemble."
For her second concert, she performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1
at SPAC to spectacular reviews, in which it was noted that she "is probably not much older than Prokofiev when he wrote the work." One reviewer wrote:
. In March, she made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. On April 15, 2009 Wang performed at the Youtube Symphony Orchestra
event held in New York at Carnegie Hall
. In May, she performed Sergei Prokofiev's
Piano Concerto number 2
with the San Francisco Symphony
. In August, she played his third Piano Concerto
under Claudio Abbado
in the Opening Concert of the Lucerne Festival
, with live broadcast and telecast in the Swiss first national programm SF 1
. In June/July, she appeared, like the year before, at the Verbier Festival
, and in November, she had her first solo concert in Zurich at the prestiguous Tonhalle
Zurich (her second visit after her famous European debut here in 2003, see above), with a program featuring Liszt, Schumann, and Chopin.
label. Her next CD is reportedly of Rachmaninoff concertos, with Claudio Abbado
conducting.
In addition, EuroArts has released a DVD on which she performs Sergei Prokofiev
's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major
, with Abbado conducting.
in the category Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra). It includes the following tracks.
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
classical pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. She was born in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music
Central Conservatory of Music
The Central Conservatory of Music is the national leading music school in Beijing, China.Founded in 1950, the Conservatory offers courses to both Chinese nationals and foreign students, and caters for all levels from primary up to postgraduate programmes...
in Beijing.
Early life
Wang comes from a musical family. She entered Beijing'sBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
Central Conservatory of Music
Central Conservatory of Music
The Central Conservatory of Music is the national leading music school in Beijing, China.Founded in 1950, the Conservatory offers courses to both Chinese nationals and foreign students, and caters for all levels from primary up to postgraduate programmes...
at age seven and studied there for three years. Wang moved to Canada at age 14 to learn English and study at the Mount Royal University Conservatory in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
Career
In 1998, Wang won 3rd Prize in the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists, in EttlingenEttlingen
Ettlingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about south of the city of Karlsruhe. Ettlingen is the second largest town in the district of Karlsruhe, after Bruchsal.-Geography:...
, Germany. In 2001, she won Third Prize and Special Jury Prize (awarded to an especially superior finalist of less than 20 years in age, prize money of 500,000 Japanese Yen) in the Piano Section at the First Sendai International Music Competition
Sendai International Music Competition
The Sendai International Music Competition is a violin and piano music competition held in Sendai, Japan, presented in association with the Sendai International Music Competition Organizing Committee, City of Sendai and the Sendai Cultural Foundation...
in Sendai, Japan.
In 2003 Wang made her European debut with the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, Switzerland, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 under the baton of David Zinman
David Zinman
David Zinman is an American conductor and violinist.After early violin studies at the Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota and took up conducting at Tanglewood...
. She made her North American debut in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in the 2005-06 season replacing Radu Lupu
Radu Lupu
Radu Lupu is a Romanian concert pianist. He has won a number of the most prestigious awards in classical piano, including first prizes in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition....
performing the Beethoven concerto with Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
conducting.
On September 11, 2005, Wang was named a 2006 biennial Gilmore Young Artist award winner, given to the most promising pianists age 21 and younger. As part of the award, she received $15,000, appeared at Gilmore Festival concerts, and had a new piano work commissioned for her.
Starting at age 15, she studied for five years with Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman is an American classical pianist, teacher of piano and music administrator.Graffman was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. Having started piano at age 3, Graffman entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 7 in 1936 as a piano student of Isabelle Vengerova...
, who was also Lang Lang's
Lang Lang (pianist)
Lang Lang , born June 14, 1982, in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, is a Chinese concert pianist, currently residing in New York, who has performed with leading orchestras in Europe, the United States and his native China. He is increasingly well known around the world for his concert performances,...
teacher, at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and graduated in May 2008. She is increasing the number of concerts she is playing, and has "developed a novel reputation" of replacing sick pianists, yet going on "to deliver a knockout performance."
In 2006-2007, she performed with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, the Houston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
, the NHK Symphony Orchestra
NHK Symphony Orchestra
The in Tokyo, Japan began as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926 and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra. Later, it changed its name to Japan Symphony Orchestra and in 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK, it took its current name...
in Japan, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in the Netherlands, the China Philharmonic in Beijing and the Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
Symphony and the Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
Chamber Music
Festival.
In March 2007, Wang replaced the legendary pianist Martha Argerich
Martha Argerich
Martha Argerich is an Argentine pianist.-Early life:Argerich was born in Buenos Aires and started playing the piano at age three...
in concerts held in Boston. Argerich had cancelled her appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
on four subscription concerts from March 8 to March 13. Wang performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, with Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
conducting, receiving highly favorable reviews.
On March 14, 2007, Wang was featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered program.
Wang played twice in Albuquerque in summer 2007, and three concerts in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
with its Symphony in November 2007.
On January 21, 2008, She played at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, to standing ovations, returned to the stage repeatedly for a triple encore that included Gluck's Mélodie from Orfeo (Wang's transcription, after Giovanni Sgambati
Giovanni Sgambati
Giovanni Sgambati was an Italian composer.Born to an Italian father and an English mother, Sgambati, who lost his father early, received his early education at Trevi, in Umbria, where he wrote some church music and obtained experience as a singer and conductor...
), Turkish March
Turkish March
A Turkish march or marcia alla turca is a march written by a classical composer in the so-called Turkish style that includes particular rhythmic patterns and often features piccolos, cymbals, bass drums and triangles....
by Mozart (Volodos's transcription), and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee
Flight of the Bumblebee
"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to...
(Cziffra
Cziffra
Cziffra:Cziffra :* Géza von Cziffra was a Hungarian and Austrian film director, screenwriter* Georges Cziffra , a Hungarian virtuoso pianist** György Cziffra, Jr., , a Hungarian conductor* Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra...
's virtuosic arrangement).
On April 2, 2008, Wang played with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
in Boston Symphony Hall, on a concert originally scheduled to be conducted from the keyboard by Murray Perahia
Murray Perahia
Murray Perahia KBE is an American concert pianist and conductor.-Early life:Murray Perahia was born in the Bronx borough of New York City to a family of Sephardi Jewish origin. According to the biography on his Mozart piano sonatas CD, his first language was Judaeo-Spanish or, Ladino. The family...
and she performed in the 2008 Verbier Festival
Verbier Festival
The Verbier Festival is an international music festival that takes place annually for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.Founded by Swedish expatriate Martin T...
to great acclaim.
2008 residency at SPAC
In the summer of 2008, Wang played two performances at Saratoga Performing Arts CenterSaratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
(SPAC), for which she was introduced by SPAC President Marcia White
Marcia White
Marcia White is the President and Executive Director of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, a famous concert venue at Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, NY. She has been credited for revitalizing SPAC, which attracts many notable performers to the "Spa City" in Upstate New York...
. Wang was called a "new pianist star", "a phenom", "a whiz", and "a sensation" after her concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
concerts at SPAC in August 2008.
In her first concert, with the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra, Wang "performed Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
’s prodigiously difficult" Sonata in B minor
Piano Sonata (Liszt)
The Piano Sonata in B minor , S.178, is a musical composition for solo piano by Franz Liszt, published in 1854 with a dedication to Robert Schumann. It is often considered Liszt's greatest composition for solo piano. The piece has been often analyzed, particularly regarding issues of form.-...
. A reviewer said that:
Another reviewer wrote that:
She also played Brahms' Horn Trio with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
concertmaster, David Kim
David Kim
David Kim is a violinist born in Carbondale, Illinois and was the only American to win a prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1986, where he got sixth prize. Since 1999, he has been the concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra...
, and Philadelphia's principal horn, Jennifer Montone, in which "Wang showed herself entirely capable of playing in ensemble."
For her second concert, she performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev set about composing his Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major, Op. 10 in 1911 and finished it in 1912. A one-movement concerto, it is the shortest of his five complete piano concertos, lasting only around a quarter of an hour.- Structure :...
at SPAC to spectacular reviews, in which it was noted that she "is probably not much older than Prokofiev when he wrote the work." One reviewer wrote:
Recording contract
In January 2009, Wang signed an exclusive recording contract for five discs with Deutsche GrammophonDeutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
. In March, she made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. On April 15, 2009 Wang performed at the Youtube Symphony Orchestra
YouTube Symphony Orchestra
The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra assembled by open auditions hosted by YouTube, the London Symphony Orchestra and several other worldwide partners. Launched on December 1, 2008, it is the first-ever online collaborative orchestra.-2009:...
event held in New York at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. In May, she performed Sergei Prokofiev's
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
Piano Concerto number 2
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev set to work on his Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 in 1912 and completed it in 1913. Performing as solo pianist, he premiered the work on August 23 the same year at Pavlovsk. Most of the audience reacted intensely...
with the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
. In August, she played his third Piano Concerto
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Prokofiev)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 is the best-known concerto by Sergei Prokofiev. It was completed in 1921 using sketches first started in 1913.-Composition and performances:...
under Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian conductor. He has served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera,...
in the Opening Concert of the Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
The Lucerne Festival Orchestra is an ad hoc seasonal orchestra, based at the annual Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. The Lucerne Festival had featured a resident orchestra as far back as 1938, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the first concert of that ensemble. From 1943 until its disbandment in...
, with live broadcast and telecast in the Swiss first national programm SF 1
SF 1
SF 1 is a Swiss television channel run under the public SRG SSR idée suisse broadcasting group. It is the first of the three national German language channels in Switzerland ....
. In June/July, she appeared, like the year before, at the Verbier Festival
Verbier Festival
The Verbier Festival is an international music festival that takes place annually for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.Founded by Swedish expatriate Martin T...
, and in November, she had her first solo concert in Zurich at the prestiguous Tonhalle
Tonhalle Orchester Zurich
Tonhalle Orchester Zürich is a symphony orchestra founded in 1868 in Zürich Switzerland, where it established its residence in the neue Tonhalle in 1895....
Zurich (her second visit after her famous European debut here in 2003, see above), with a program featuring Liszt, Schumann, and Chopin.
Personal life
Wang currently lives in New York City, but travels most of the time playing concerts around the world.Discography
Although there are reports that Wang released a debut CD in 1995, there is little information available about it. She has released two CDs, Sonatas & Etudes and Transformations, on the Deutsche GrammophonDeutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
label. Her next CD is reportedly of Rachmaninoff concertos, with Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian conductor. He has served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera,...
conducting.
In addition, EuroArts has released a DVD on which she performs Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Prokofiev)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 is the best-known concerto by Sergei Prokofiev. It was completed in 1921 using sketches first started in 1913.-Composition and performances:...
, with Abbado conducting.
Sonatas & Etudes (2009)
Sonatas & Etudes is Wang's first CD on general release. It was recorded in November 2008 and released April 20, 2009. It was nominated for the 2010 Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra). It includes the following tracks.
Transformation (2010)
Transformation is Wang's second CD on general release. It was released April 13, 2010 and includes the following tracks.External links
- Profile of Yuja Wang on Opus3 Artists site