How long can the Chinese pianist go on topping herself with one-of-a-kind musical events? This year it was performing all of Rachmaninoff’s music for piano and orchestra—four concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini—in one January afternoon (and evening) at Carnegie Hall. The marvel was not just Wang’s getting through it, but the vitality and insight she brought to every bar of the music. Any of these five performances (and the five dresses she wore) would have been the highlight of a conventional concert program. With Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium, the Philadelphians’ long association with this composer enriched the program still more. (DW)
New York Classical Review – Top Ten Performances of 2023
