Just in: Yuja Wang is Musical America’s artist of the year

Just in: Yuja Wang is Musical America’s artist of the year

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norman lebrecht

October 18, 2016

A critical sign of our times.

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Comments

  • Nina says:

    “Technician” of the year, perhaps, but musician?

    • M2N2K says:

      Her piano-tuning abilities are unknown to me, but as a musician she is definitely much more than a “technician”.

      • Olassus says:

        Your point is well taken.

        Actually she is “Artist of the Year,” which, if you think about it, goes even closer to the idea that she has something to offer in terms of insight and imagination.

        It is quite an astonishing accolade.

        Does the magazine state who chose her? The jury? How it reached its conclusion? Why it chose “artist” instead of mere “musician” for Yuja Wang?

  • John Borstlap says:

    For many people, her dresses leave something to be wished for…. in two ways, and that distracts from the playing which is really very good. She should not need her distractions.

    • M2N2K says:

      Of course she does not “need” them — distractions are in eyes of beholders. According to her — and I have no reason to disbelieve her — she dresses the way she does because she feels better that way. She plays well, and for me as a listener that is all that counts.

    • Robert Holmén says:

      Beyond the tenth row, what the soloist is wearing is pretty much a non-issue… until they start putting Jumbotrons in concert halls.

      • David Rosem says:

        But you all must admit that she is doing a great job promoting classical music.
        Several years ago, in Tel Aviv, they had to change the 400 seat hall to a 3000 one for her chamber music concert.

      • joe salerno says:

        Actually, beyond the tenth row and anywhere that is progressively further from audience left is visually limited for a piano soloist.

  • M2N2K says:

    If this truly is “a critical sign of our times”, then it is a good sign of good times.

  • Gary says:

    Well deserved.

  • Paul Dornian says:

    Yuja literally has it all – chops, sophisticated artistry and the ability to create a buzz. Isn’t that what the music business needs? Go Yuja!

  • Alvaro says:

    Next year: LINDSEY STIRLING!!

    She’s already in the cover of Strings magazine.

    The ECHO’s will give the lifetime achievement award to Yanni and Andre Rieu

  • Respect says:

    It would be foolish to ignore how seriously she is working on her artistic growth, her repertoire expansion has been admirable. I hope her playing gains in depth and beauty, but she’s a remarkable and consistent performer.

    Well deserved!

  • Geoff says:

    We met her 8 years ago and she played then as good as anyone I had heard. I saw her earlier this year when she played the Bartok #1 and #3 concertos. She is a great musician without doubt. Her Hammerklavier at Carnegie Hall was most impressive. What is she now less than 30? She dresses like a girl in her 20s and she enjoys it (she said so). How will she be playing and what will she be playing in her 50s? I wish that I could live long enough to find out but, sadly, I will not.

    • Mark says:

      Her Hammerklavier at Carnegie Hall was impressive ? She just played the notes without any sense of depth, grandeur or mystery. Shortly before, Murray Perahia played the same sonata at Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen) and it was a different world – a performance for the ages.
      Wang has remarkable fingers, but her mind (and aesthetic sense) are that of a shallow teenager.

    • Mark says:

      Her Hammerklavier at Carnegie Hall was impressive ? She just played the notes without any sense of depth, grandeur or mystery. Shortly before, Murray Perahia played the same sonata at Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen) and it was a different world – a performance for the ages.
      Wang has remarkable fingers, but her mind (and aesthetic sense) are that of a shallow teenager.

      • M2N2K says:

        At this point of her life, Yuja Wang may not yet be as convincing in late Beethoven as is much older Murray Perahia, but she already plays lots of other good music — particularly from late 19th through middle of 20th century — extremely well and is becoming considerably less “shallow” every year.

    • Geoff says:

      My point about her being under 30 years of age seems to be passed over. Will any commenters be around when she is in her 50s? Then let us hear the verdict. Shallow is not how I would describe her playing, but I am not a musician, I can’t read music, I do not know a bflat from a dminor, but I only listen. There are three things involved in this world of music:
      1. The composer
      2. The player
      And
      3. The listener
      I guess Bach was happy to hear his music every Sunday. I would also presume Glenn Gould enjoyed playing it and I enjoy listening to it.
      So I have to be content to listen and enjoy, not be too critical, not too knowledgeable and never pretend that I know more than others.

  • Eric says:

    In other news, no mention of the other Musical America award winners: Andrew Norman (Composer of the Year); Susanna Mälkki (Conductor of the Year); Eric Owens (Vocalist of the Year); Eighth Blackbird (Ensemble of the Year).

  • debussyste says:

    Tremendous pianistic habilities for sure but she has never impressed me musicaly.

    • John Borstlap says:

      It seems that she is one of those performers who are good for a certain range of repertoire. Nothing wrong with that.

  • Saad says:

    She deserve it indeed as American pianist, congratulations Yuga!!!

  • Pedro says:

    The first time I have heard Miss Wang live she played the Prokofiev 3 and Tschaikovsky 1 piano concertos in the same evening, replacing Kissin who was ill. He was supposed to play just Prokofiev 2. She was really superb.

  • NYMike says:

    The first time we heard hear live was in Prokofiev #2 with Philadelphia Orchestra @ Carnegie Hall. We were astounded!

  • Sue says:

    I’m sure this is the same pianist I heard in 2011 at the Wiener Konzerthaus. I hadn’t heard of her before and she played very well, I thought. Cannot remember the piece because I attended dozens of concerts that year because I had a 12 month visa, but it was one of the big concertos. That’s all I remember.

  • LondonPianist says:

    She is remarkable, technically and artistically. The negative comments on this thread are not only ridiculous but appalling. A well-deserved award.

  • Peter says:

    I wonder why the commentators here haven’t also won Artist of the Year. They sound so authoritative.

  • Sue says:

    She is appearing again next year in Vienna at the Konzerthaus, twice. Good luck to her!

    7.30 Großer Saal
    Klavierabend Yuja Wang

    PERFORMERS
    Yuja Wang, Klavier

    PROGRAMME
    Werke von Alexander Skrjabin u. a.

    SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
    Klavier im Großen Saal

  • Geoff says:

    She hardly needs luck, Sue, she seems always well prepared. Wish I could be in Vienna next year. I doubt if I could afford a ticket though.

    • Sue says:

      I meant “good luck to her” in the sense that she deserves to do well!! Yes, ticket prices are quite high in Vienna. I used to pay upwards of 95 Euro for a seat right up the back – upstairs – (bought on consignment just before the performance) where I could see virtually nothing except very small people sitting on a platform!!

  • Zuhair Bakdoud says:

    I wish l had her technique… LOL…
    Nowadays, there are innumerable pianists, especially Russian ones, with practically superhuman (so to speak) technical abilities…

  • Marya Berry says:

    There is no article discussing this fact about Yuja Wang? I have looked in the Archives… nada. Sorry, but I thought Mr Lebrecht had written an article highlighting her being named America’s Artist of the Year “a critical sign of our times.” No?

    Disappointed.

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