On Friday (9/25) at TV station KQED (northern California), Jeffrey Brown speaks with pianist Yuja Wang and Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony, who has served as Wang’s mentor since meeting her when she was 17. Tilson Thomas says when he “works with precocious young musicians, they generally show up with an entourage of parents, teachers, coaches and publicists…. ‘What was so different about her, she simply appeared,’ the conductor says of the first time [they met]… ‘She said, “Hi. I’m here! What do we do?” ’ The resulting years have led to a fruitful artistic collaboration between Tilson Thomas and Wang…. ‘It’s my responsibility to make the soloist comfortable because that will create a situation in which they can make the most brilliant and delightful contribution for the listeners,’ Tilson Thomas says.… Wang is a social media sensation … and [is] known for her vibrant onstage outfits.… Once the pianist takes her seat at the keyboard, though, … ‘The music speaks, everything else goes away,’ says Wang.” Click here to watch excerpts from the video interview.
Posted October 2, 2015
