PURCHASE, NY — “Astounding,” “superhuman,” “exhilarating” and “jaw-dropping” are just a few of the superlatives used by critics to describe the remarkable artistry of pianist Yuja Wang, who will be making her debut at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College (SUNY), Purchase, NY, on Sunday, October 16, at 3 p.m. The concert will take place only four days before the 24-year-old Ms. Wang makes her much-anticipated New York City recital debut at Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Wang recently sparked a controversial debate about appropriate attire for concert performers after she wore a short, revealing dress at a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The Washington Post classical music critic, Anne Midgette, sparred with Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times, who expressed shock or, perhaps, titillation by her dress.
In her column, Anne Midgette noted, “…all of us should understand that, rather than shutting the doors to the under-18 set, Wang’s manner (she’s a refreshingly normal, down-to-earth woman) and attire – as well as her remarkable talent – represent some of the best chances we have of getting those under-18-year-olds into the concert hall to begin with.”
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“The controversy nearly overshadowed Yuja Wang’s virtuosity as a concert pianist,” said Wiley Hausam, Executive Director of The Performing Arts Center. “Audiences at her concert here in October will be treated to an outstandingly beautiful young woman who can play simply anything with expertise, passion, warmth and grace.”
Ms. Wang’s program at Purchase will begin with several works by Scriabin: Prelude in B Major, op. 11, no. 11; Prelude in B Minor, op. 13, no. 6; Prelude in G sharp Minor, op. 11, no. 12; Etude in G sharp Minor, op. 8, no. 9;
and Poeme in F sharp Major, op. 32, no. 1. The recital will continue with Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata no. 6 in A Major, op. 82, and Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B Minor.
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In the few short years since her 2005 debut with the National Arts Center Orchestra led by Pinchas Zukerman, for which the Canadian press reported “a star is born,” Yuja Wang has already performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as internationally with orchestras ranging from the China Philharmonic to the London Philharmonic. Born in Beijing in 1987, Yuja Wang began studying piano at age six. In 2006 she received the Gilmore Young Artist Award and in 2010 she was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Tickets for Yuja Wang’s recital in the Concert Hall are $72.50, $62.50 and $52.50. For more information and to buy tickets, call The Performing Arts Center ticket office (914-251-6200), visit the ticket office at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, NY, or log on to The Center’s website, www.artscenter.org.
