Igor Stravinsky: Octet for Wind Instruments
Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 56
Ludwig van Beethoven: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B minor, Op. 23
Her mother wanted Yuja to become a dancer, while her father, a professional percussionist, was, as Yuja Wang later put it, “quite… relentless when it came to rhythm.” It’s undeniable that the foundations of the star pianist’s musicality were laid in the Wang household in late 1980s Beijing.
After graduating from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Yuja Wang burst onto the world stage in 2007 as a last-minute substitute for none other than Martha Argerich with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since then, she has been named Musical America’s Artist of the Year (2017), won an Opus Klassik award (2021), and received her first Grammy Award in 2024. This marks her sixth appearance at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr—but this time, in a truly special setting: Since early 2024, Yuja Wang has been an Artistic Partner of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. With this, she joins an esteemed group of past collaborators, including pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Leif Ove Andsnes. This partnership also brings her to Essen this summer for the festival.
What makes this event even more remarkable is that audiences will not only experience the “piano Rihanna”—as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung once called Wang due to her admiration for Rihanna’s voice—at the keyboard, but also as the conductor of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In this play-and-lead role, she will perform not one, but two piano concertos: Nikolai Kapustin’s Fourth and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s First. A truly electrifying program.
The orchestra itself is an extraordinary ensemble, known for its special energy and musical passion. This is no coincidence: The MCO is the product of artistic devotion. Based in Berlin, it emerged from the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra when several members reached the age limit but were unwilling to give up making music together. Today, its musicians hold principal positions in top orchestras worldwide while pursuing a shared artistic vision through the Mahler Chamber Orchestra—a vision they now bring to life alongside Yuja Wang and share with the audience of the Klavier-Festival Ruhr this summer.
Photo: Julia Wesely
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Philharmonie
Huyssenallee 53
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Informations
Yuja Wang
Pianist Yuja Wang is celebrated for her charismatic artistry, emotional honesty and captivating stage presence. She has performed with the world’s most venerated conductors, musicians and ensembles, and is renowned not only for her virtuosity, but her spontaneous and lively performances, famously telling the New York Times ‘I firmly believe very program should have its own life, and be a representation of how I feel at the moment’.
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Since its creation in 1997, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO) continuously keeps shaping its distinct sound, independent artistic identity, and agile and democratic structure. To this day, the MCO is still governed by its musicians in collaboration with its managing office.
Philharmonic
The Philharmonie Essen is the largest concert hall in the Ruhr area and was extensively renovated between 2002 and 2004. The Alfried Krupp Hall, the building's central event room, seats 1,906 visitors...
