The next superstar pianist. Yuja Wang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8alxBofd_eQ

This is real time.
Folks, she just turned 22.

 

Now that's impressive.

 

Yuja Wang

Her album dropped today. Check out her official DG website. She is a hot little number. Hopefully, she will develop more like Yundi Li than Bang Bang.

Watch her play: http://www2.deutschegrammophon.com/html/special/yuja-wang/etudes/sites/video.html

First Amazon review:

 

Looking at the pcitures, yes, she'll be the next classic superstar. Funny to see that now classical music is promoted like pop/rock music, through visuals.

 

It sure worked for Yo Yo Ma

 

Classics Today

Here is what pianophile critic Jed Distler has to say about the disc.

From Classics Today:

 

Live at Verbier Festival

From earlier this month in Switzerland. Watch it!

http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/Yuja_Wang_au_festival_de_Verbier/

Yuja Wang interprète Scarlatti, Brahms, Chopin, Shchedrin et Stravinski.

Au programme:

Domenico Scarlatti
Sonate pour piano en Sol majeur K 427
Sonate pour piano en si mineur K 87
Sonate pour piano en Mi majeur K 380
Sonate pour piano en Sol majeur K 455

Johannes Brahms
28 Variations sur un thème de Paganini en la mineur op.35

Frédéric Chopin
Sonate pour piano N° 2 en si bémol mineur op.35

Rodion Shchedrin
Sept Impromptus pour piano, création mondiale

Igor Stravinski
Petrouchka, suite pour piano
Danse russe
Chez Petrouchka
La Semaine Grasse

 

Costa Mesa

November 24
Costa Mesa, CA
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yu Long
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

That's next Tuesday, FYI.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

I have an extra ticket for tonights performance down in Costa Mesa. Any locals interested in meeting me there let me know. Should be an awesome show.

 

Yuja Wang -- sounds like a character from an Austin Powers movie.

 

Review of Sunday's Concert at UC Berkeley

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/24/DDPD1AP53P.DTL&type=music

 

Still no takers.

 

Would be there in a Shanghai minute but I'm working. Looking forward to report.

 

Just got back. What a shame no one went with me. It was a crazy trip. Accident on the 405 made me late by five minutes. Luckily there was a five minute piece (would you believe that) before the Rachmaninoff with Yuja Wang.

My review of the concert



wow


wow



Strongly considering going out to Palm springs tomorrow night to see that again but only if i can get seats on the left side of the house. Gotta see the fingers fly.

 

Transformation

New album available next Tuesday in US.

 

Yuja Wang will return to Disney Hall in October...to play the same thing she did last time, Prokofiev 3.

 

How did you know about this before me? when do tickets go on sale?

 

Concert calendar can be viewed here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cul...-philharmonic-announces-2011-2012-season.html

Individual ticket sales usually don't begin till August.

 

hmmm, I may already have tickets. I am going in half and half with my old friend and classical aficionado Steve Brown on his subscription to the 2011-2012 season. I think we have some pretty sweet seats actually. But I may have to go more than once.....

 

Maybe she can play for the US president next time instead of Yang Yang

 

Very nice.

 

From Norman Lebrecht's CD of the Week column. He seldom dishes out five stars, this must be amazing.

 

Has this album been released yet? I wasn't able to locate it at any of the local stores and I can't seem to find it on Amazon. I did pick up her first CD for $9 this afternoon and enjoyed it immensely on the ride home. She has very nimble fingers but strength and endurance behind them. It often seems that pianists, particularly females, if very nimble and quick, lack the strength and endurance for heavy pieces. She seems well suited to take on anything. What she might lack in finesse on the first album (artistic reading really) will come with age and experience. Technically she is incredible and some of the Youtube clips astound me.

I'm excited to listen to this new release. I'll keep my eyes pealed for it.

 

thanks Scott for your OP -

I've not kept up with the new generation (for me, Hamelin is new) and was not aware of this young woman. I surfed Youtube and truly was blown away, especially by clips done at what looks like age 11 or so (for example, the Chopin etude Op.10/2). Amazing technique - obviously - but real musicianship there as well.