What classical music needs is more Yuja Wang
mainIt’s pianophile Thursday at Slipped Disc:
Melanie Lust, a student at Northwestern University, has found the solution to declining concert attendances. Under the headline ‘Lust: As a matter of urgency, please make classical music sexy again’, Melanie writes:
…Female soloists and conductors tend to face extensive criticism for violations of these codes.
Take Yuja Wang, the Chinese pianist who regularly makes headlines for her outfits: high heels and tight, colorful mini-dresses. Her attire matches her performance style: vibrant, fiery, glittering with personality. And even though she’s won the most prestigious musicianship awards in the industry, critics never seem to tire of calling her “skimpy,” “improper” and “offensive.”
The reality is that there’s no historical or social reason why classical musicians need to wear formal clothes. A uniform doesn’t contribute to a performer’s musicality. If anything, dress codes hinder performances because they don’t allow soloists to fully express their identities. Any attempt to replace formality with personality should be celebrated instead of shunned. Beyond that, Yuja Wang shouldn’t be the only musician to dare enter the realm of self-expression — more soloists and conductors should step up and challenge the norms….
Read on here.
Graphic: Melanie Lust
My first piece for @nbn_tweets examines a topic I’m VERY passionate about:https://t.co/DJSl7quMmr
— Melanie Lust (@LustMelanie) February 12, 2020
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