At a press conference in Beijing, Yuja Wang was named the 2016-17 Artist-in-Residence of China’s National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The appointment represents a welcome and timely homecoming for the Beijing-born pianist, who is the first female pianist from China to achieve international stardom and only the Center’s second Artist-in-Residence.
Comprising six curated concerts of Romantic and 20th-century repertoire, as well as masterclasses, lectures, and other outreach activities, the residency includes a chamber music extravaganza with award-winning Austrian percussionist Martin Grubinger; a complete Bartók concerto cycle with the NCPA Orchestra; Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G; a solo recital; and performances with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Yuja comments: “This is a true homecoming for me. Music in China is at such an exciting point in its evolution, and I feel fortunate that the NCPA has invited me to be part of that. I finally have the opportunity to share my music with fans and friends from my homeland, and to play incredible works with childhood friends who are now members of the NCPA Orchestra.”
Yuja’s association with the NCPA dates back to 2009, when she made her Chinese solo recital debut at the center, since which time – despite her increasingly full concert schedule – she has returned to the NCPA stage each year. Last season, she joined theNCPA Orchestra and its chief conductor, Lü Jia, as soloist on their historic first North American tour, which celebrated 35 years of diplomacy between China and the United States.