‘Exceptionally rare’ musical feat
1 weekend, 4 concertos by Yuja Wang
Central Florida music lovers are in for a special treat, thanks to a late-breaking program change from world-renowned pianist Yuja Wang.
The award-winning musician returns to Central Florida Jan. 14 and 15 for performances with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, which is calling the event “an extraordinary opportunity for music fans.”
During her two appearances, Wang will perform all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos in order: No. 1 and No. 2 on Saturday and No. 3 and No. 4 on Sunday.
“Performances of all four of Rachmaninoff ’s challenging concertos in one weekend — including the fiendishly difficult 3rd — are exceptionally rare,” the Philharmonic said in its announcement.
And it means Orlando concertgoers get a sneak peek at a highlight of New York City’s winter music season: “The only other place Yuja will perform this feat will be at Carnegie Hall with the Philadelphia Orchestra, just two weeks after her concerts in Orlando,” the Philharmonic statement said.
Wang has a special relationship with the venerable Carnegie Hall: She was selected to perform Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 for the venue’s Opening Night Gala in October 2021, a return to live performance there after its unprecedented 572-day shutdown because of the COVID19 pandemic.
Born in Beijing in 1987, Wang began studying piano at age 6. By age 11, she was winning awards at international competitions.
In a 2021 review, Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle raved that Wang is “quite simply, the most dazzlingly, uncannily gifted pianist in the concert world today, and there’s nothing left to do but sit back, listen and marvel at her artistry.”
Wang also is known for her glamorous outfits, and a male Los Angeles Times critic came under fire in 2011 after he commented on the length of her dress and height of her heels at a Hollywood Bowl performance.
When Wang joined the Orlando Philharmonic in January 2020 for an outdoor performance in Exploria Stadium, I took note of her gorgeous outfit — but only because the temperature was in the 40s.
“Like Disney’s Queen Elsa, the cold didn’t bother Wang anyway — she wore a sleeveless dress — but how could she feel the chill when her fingers were moving like lightning?” I wrote at the time, going on to praise her explosive style as she joined the orchestra for a “blazing” performance of Richard Strauss’s “Burleske.”
“Wang can attack the keys without making the notes sound hostile; instead they create waves of emotion,” I wrote. “With a keen sense of the music’s intrinsic drama, she fashions playful and threatening passages with equal ease.”
Wang’s appearances with the Orlando Philharmonic will be in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando. Music director Eric Jacobsen will conduct both performances, which also include Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.”
Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 and 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15. Tickets start at $46.54 per concert at drphillipscenter.org.