Yuja Wang gives the UK a miss

Yuja Wang gives the UK a miss

News

norman lebrecht

September 17, 2021

Dedicated followers of the pianist tell us that she will not play at all in Britain over the coming season – despite having a London management, Intermusica, as her main agency.

Maybe she’s steering clear of Slipped Disc. Or maybe the eternally depressing London concert halls.

This was her last appearance in May, with Michael Tilson Thomas:

Comments

  • Allen says:

    So why doesn’t she go to Birmingham, which you seem so keen on?

    • Ic225 says:

      She was due to play in Birmingham in June and was only prevented from doing so by shifting quarantine regulations. She has appeared there on numerous occasions.

    • gds555 says:

      Wouldn’t bringing Yuja Wang to an already-musically-well-served city like Birmingham be like bringing Jennifer Koh to Newcastle?

  • Bostin'Symph says:

    🙂 She’d be very welcome here!

  • V. Lind says:

    “Maybe she’s steering clear of Slipped Disc. ”

    Or, as she calls it, Women’s Wear Daily.

    If she thinks of it at all.

  • Jack says:

    Surely Wigmore Hall cannot be considered an “eternally depressing” venue.

  • Paul says:

    I have been performing with her recently in a small group and it’s been just delightful making music and socializing with her. There’s a lot of judgmental behaviour around her from people who have next to no knowledge.

    • Hans-Dieter Glaubke says:

      In a single word: Bravo!
      Your succinct, yet, deep insight is rarely appreciated. Deaf ears aplenty do not allow an appreciation for her immense artistry, both technically and let it not be forgotten, her sublime emotional contribution of her playing. Yuja, embodying a deep communicative soul.

  • JEAN-DAVID COEN says:

    Now why would she steer clear of a gossip column which publishes “N’importe quoi” as the French would say. It is nice to have a site which publishes news about classical music, but not if needless speculation is the price.

  • Corno di Caccia says:

    Great pic, that. Maybe it was the thought of bumping into JEG that put her off.

  • Ludwig's Van says:

    She doesn’t want to catch a cold, which is a hazzard when she wears her skimpy outfits in the damp UK.

    • Karin Becker says:

      That may well be. Another reason: After the Brexit, there are no good piano tuners left, they have gone back to the continent.

  • JEAN-DAVID COEN says:

    Needed to add another comment, as this post is so outrageous! it was not necessary to include a picture of her with MTT- who is as we all know going through an intense physical challenge and crisis. That was gratuitous and cruel

  • Alan Castle says:

    I love Yuja. She is so exceptional and her venues represent her eloquence and style. I think her audiences are witnessing an evolution which she herself has not yet come to grips with. She is maturing gracefully and it’s a process which is awesome to witness. At 71 I hope I have at least 10 more years to admire her work! Alan

  • Jeremy Wardle says:

    How is MTT by the way ? Didn’t he have a serious operation ? This would be more valuable news

  • johnejean@gmail.com says:

    When can we expect Yuya Wang to visit the UK? For more of her dazzling performances.

  • Polythene Pam says:

    If what you say about the concert halls is true, why not have a piano placed in the crosswalk of Abbey Road, shut down traffic there for a few hours, and give a performance that way, not necessarily with Yuja Wang, hoping for a sunny day, maybe the pianist even wearing a special Sgt. Pepper outfit. A rooftop there probably wouldn’t work for a piano concert…

  • Excellent photo for a caption competition! Anyone?

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