Breaking: Yuja dumps her agent. Again
NewsThe peripatetic pianist, presently on tour with the London Symphony Orchestra, has erased her global management Intermusica from her website.
Intermusica, who have yet to remove her from their artists list, are not responding to inquiries.
Yuja, on the whole, never stays more than 2-3 years with any management.
At Intermusica she seemed to be happy with day-to-day management by Kirsten Mackay, but Kirsten left two months ago and Yuja, insiders say, has not been satisfied since.
Before Intermusica she was with Dudamel’s management Fidelio Arts and before them with Earl Blackburn at his boutique, called Kanzen.
Whoever takes her on should be prepared for a serious challenge. I’ve heard it’s constant management around the clock, and it’s exhausting! Best of luck to them – they’re going to need it!
Which, of course, is hardly news to anyone managing a top-tier artist.
There’s a difference between an artist being difficult and complicated, and an artist being impossible! No matter where she moves next, I can bet that in a few years, or even sooner, Norman will be posting that she’s moved again!
I’d take her in a heartbeat, haha. Great talent comes at a price.
What specific management activities does she require that other top artists don’t?
A lot of top artists require serious hand holding, not just the technical requirements. It can be exhausting for boutique and even bigger agencies. What she needs is an assistant.
Nevermind this, what we really want to know is why she wore sunglasses to play with the LSO last night?
Good luck finding out. Meantime: what did you think of her interpretation of the Chopin 2nd concerto?
I wasn’t there, just read a review and it seems a bit odd!
She was playing the Rachmaninov 1st on Sunday and the Chopin 2nd is on Thursday in London so we’ll see.
Who cares, sometimes short term medical issues are addressed with sunglasses. Or is the old fad back?
I heard Yuja play the Rachmaninov 1st a year and a half ago, magnificently.
Oof…that’s definitely a “get out of my face” look in that picture lol
Are you kidding? That’s her smiling — it’s as good as it gets.
I am with you, partly. I see a tired face trying to have a decent expression for the photograph. That’s decent behavior, personally and professionally. Yuja is a pro at many levels, even though some of her wardrobe suggests otherwise.
Nonsense. She joined Intermusica almost six years ago.
She’s known to be high maintenance.. in her career and DEFINITELY in her relationships.
What relationships?
You must know more than me as I only heard of the Finn (possibly a pretend one for both parties).
Isn’t this her business entirely?
Of course, and none of our business. But since when did her love life and personal business choices get in the way of blog coverage and gossip?
Have not a number of other major artists switched managements with some regularity? I seem to recall that Jessye Norman fitted in to that category.
La donna e mobile…
Wow! Yuja got old. She aged so fast.
Artists are like babies: absolutely adorable, charming, and lovable – up until and not including the moment when they want their diaper changed! Then they become intolerable monsters, and remain so until they get what they want. Forget all reason and diplomacy – just deliver, or else!!
Perhaps “the mercurial pianist” is a better descriptor.
I checked het schedule and she’s performing the Rach 1 like eight times (or more) right now, first in London and then in Japan. I’d go crazy, too, and fire someone if I had to play that piece over and over again like a pouffed-up bar pianist.
Only eight (or more) times? Each year Sarah Chang used to play basically just one concerto for most of her concerts – I’m guessing around 50 or so. She would then record it – as she did the Brahms with Masur.