On April 26 & 27, Yuja Wang performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with the New World Symphony, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, at the New World Center in Miami. Ms. Wang is a champion of Prokofiev’s works, previously heralded by the Washington Classical Review for her high-voltage performance in 2017:
“Wang attacked the solo part of Prokofiev’s concerto with the fury of a whirling dervish. Her percussive touch, all jabs and stinging attacks, was a hard-edged thrill in this tour de force work. She hit all the marks with remarkable clarity and a disarming nonchalance.”
Part of the NWS Season Finale concert, the program also features the world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fountain of Youth. In her new work, Wolfe pays tribute to “this incredible orchestra of young people” and Michael Tilson Thomas, “who is forever young,” while also recalling Florida’s legendary wellspring sought by Ponce de León in the 16th century. Concluding the program is Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, an epic programmatic symphony built around a dramatic tale of failed romance.