Yuja Wang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuja Wang
Wang performing at Carnegie Hall in 2017
Background information
Native name	王羽佳
Born	(1987-02-10) February 10, 1987 (age 38) Beijing, China
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Pianist
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Deutsche Grammophon
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	王羽佳
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wáng Yǔjiā

Yuja Wang (Chinese: 王羽佳; pinyin: Wáng Yǔjiā; born February 10, 1987) is a famous Chinese pianist. She was born in Beijing, China. Yuja started playing the piano when she was just six years old.

She studied music at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Later, she went to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, USA. By the time she was 21, Yuja was known around the world as a concert pianist. She signed a special contract with Deutsche Grammophon, a big music company. Today, she is one of the best musicians of her time. Yuja Wang lives in New York.

Yuja Wang's Early Life and Education

Yuja Wang comes from a family of artists. Her mother, Zhai Jieming, is a dancer. Her father, Wang Jianguo, plays percussion instruments. Both of her parents live in Beijing.

Yuja started learning piano at age six. When she was seven, she began studying at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music. At age eleven, Yuja was the youngest student at the Morningside Music Bridge International Music Festival. This festival was held at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

When she was fifteen, Yuja joined the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She studied there for five years with Gary Graffman. She finished her studies in 2008. Mr. Graffman was very impressed by her piano skills. He also noted her smart and tasteful way of playing music.

Yuja Wang's Amazing Career

Starting Her Piano Journey

In 1998, when Yuja was eleven, she won third prize. This was at the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany. Three years later, she won third prize again. She also received a special jury prize at the first Sendai International Music Competition in Sendai, Japan.

In 2002, Yuja won a concerto competition. This was at the Aspen Music Festival.

Yuja played her first concert in Europe in 2003. She performed with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Switzerland. She played Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. David Zinman was the conductor. Her first North American performance was in Ottawa in 2005. She filled in for another pianist, Radu Lupu. She played the same Beethoven concerto with Pinchas Zukerman conducting.

On September 11, 2005, Yuja was given the 2006 Gilmore Young Artist Award. This award goes to promising pianists aged 22 and younger. She received $15,000 and performed at Gilmore Festival concerts. A new piano piece was also written just for her.

In 2006, Yuja played with the New York Philharmonic for the first time. This was at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. The next year, she toured Japan and Korea with the orchestra. Lorin Maazel was the conductor.

In March 2007, Yuja had a big moment. She stepped in for Martha Argerich at concerts in Boston. Argerich had to cancel her shows with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Yuja performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. Charles Dutoit was the conductor.

Yuja Wang's Career After 2007

Yuja Wang performing with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg in 2021

In 2008, Yuja toured the U.S. with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Sir Neville Marriner led the orchestra. In 2009, she played as a soloist with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. This concert was led by Michael Tilson Thomas at Carnegie Hall. Yuja also performed with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Luzern and Beijing. She played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Spain and London. She also performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2009, Yuja recorded Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in G Minor. She played with Kurt Masur at the Verbier Festival. Her performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" is on a DVD from the 2008 Verbier Festival.

In 2012, Yuja toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Zubin Mehta was the conductor. They performed in Israel and the U.S., including a show at Carnegie Hall.

Yuja toured Asia in November 2012. She played with the San Francisco Symphony. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the orchestra.

In February 2013, Yuja recorded Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2. She also recorded Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3. She played with Gustavo Dudamel and the Venezuelan Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar. Also in 2013, Yuja performed her first solo concert at Tokyo's Suntory Hall.

Yuja played with the Berlin Philharmonic for the first time in May 2015. She performed Sergei Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto. Paavo Järvi was the conductor. This performance was shown live online.

In February 2016, Yuja played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9. She performed it for four nights in New York. She then played with the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time.

In March 2016, Yuja played for three nights in Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted. In May 2016, she gave a solo concert at Carnegie Hall. She played Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29. She also played pieces by Brahms and Robert Schumann.

Yuja performed with the National Youth Orchestra of China. This was for their first show at Carnegie Hall on July 22, 2017. She played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1.

In 2019, Yuja honored Kennedy Center Honoree Michael Tilson Thomas. She played his piece "You Come Here Often?".

On January 28, 2023, Yuja did something amazing. She played all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos. She also played his Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. This was all in one concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. The conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, said it was like climbing Mount Everest.

Who Yuja Wang Plays With Regularly

Yuja Wang in 2021

Yuja Wang has played with many major orchestras in the U.S. These include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic.

Around the world, Yuja has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra. She has also played with the Israel Philharmonic and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo.

Yuja Wang's Endorsements

Yuja Wang is a brand ambassador for several companies. These include Rolex, Rimowa, and La Mer. Since 2011, she has also been a Steinway & Sons artist. Steinway & Sons makes famous pianos.

In 2019, Yuja was part of Rimowa's "Never Still" campaign. She appeared alongside famous people like LeBron James.

Yuja Wang's Music Recordings

In January 2009, Yuja signed a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. This is a very well-known record label.

Here are some of her recordings:

• 2009: Sonatas & Etudes
• 2009: Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1
• 2009: Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3
• 2010: Transformation
• 2010: Schubert, Schumann, Scriabin and Prokofiev
• 2011: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 & Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
• 2012: Fantasia
• 2014: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 & Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2
• 2014: Brahms: The Violin Sonatas with Leonidas Kavakos
• 2015: Maurice Ravel Complete Orchestral Works
• 2017: The Asia Tour
• 2018: The Berlin Recital
• 2018: The Peace Concert Versailles
• 2019: Blue Hour with Andreas Ottensamer
• 2019: Sommernachtskonzert: Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
• 2019: Franck, Chopin with Gautier Capuçon
• 2020: Adams, Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?
• 2020: Rachmaninov Cello Sonata, Op. 19 with Lynn Harrell
• 2023: The American Project
• 2023: The Verbier Festival Debut Recital 2008
• 2023: Rachmaninoff: The Piano Concertos & Paganini Rhapsody
• 2024: The Vienna Recital

New Music Premiered by Yuja Wang

Some musical pieces were written especially for Yuja Wang. She performed them for the very first time. These are called "world premieres."

Here are some of them:

• 2009: Artless Pages (Seven Impromptus for Piano) by Rodion Shchedrin
• 2009: Piano Concerto by Jennifer Higdon
• 2015: You Come Here Often? for solo piano by Michael Tilson Thomas
• 2015: Farewell My Concubine for Peking Opera Soprano and Piano by Tan Dun
• 2019: Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? by John Adams
• 2022: Piano Concerto by Teddy Abrams
• 2022: Piano Concerto No. 3 by Magnus Lindberg

Other pieces that had their world premieres with Yuja as the soloist include:

• 2015: The Food of Love by Carlo Galante
• 2016: Cello Sonata by Evgeny Kissin

Awards Yuja Wang Has Won

Yuja Wang has won many awards for her amazing piano playing.

• 2006: Gilmore - Young Artist Award
• 2009: Gramophone - Young Artist of the Year
• 2009, 2011, 2018, 2019: Grammy Award - nominee (meaning she was considered for the award)
• 2010: Avery Fisher Career Grant
• 2011: Echo Klassik Awards - Young Artist of the Year
• 2017: Musical America - Artist of the Year
• 2019: Gramophone - Instrumental Award for The Berlin Recital
• 2021: Opus Klassik - for her recording of John Adams: Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?
• 2023: Grammy Award - for The American Project
• 2023: Pianote - Classical Pianist of the Year

Movie Music by Yuja Wang

Yuja Wang has also played music for movies:

• 2013: Summer in February
• 2023: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

See also

In Spanish: Yuja Wang para niños