“The brilliant pianist Yuja Wang was named the 2017 artist of the year on Tuesday by Musical America, the classical music publication, which said in announcing its annual honors that she ‘represents a new breed—the complete, thoroughly modern package,’ ” reads an unsigned Tuesday (10/18) New York Times article. “The conductor of the year is Susanna Malkki, the chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, who will make her Metropolitan Opera debut in December and will become principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic next season. Andrew Norman was named composer of the year; the bass-baritone Eric Owens, vocalist of the year; and Eighth Blackbird, the new-music sextet currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, ensemble of the year. Ms. Wang, 29, who was born in Beijing and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, has sometimes attracted as much attention for her sense of high fashion as for her artistry, but she is esteemed as a dazzling piano virtuoso who is known for sensitive, coloristic playing. She will appear at David Geffen Hall on Oct. 28 playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the London Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda.”
Posted October 18, 2016
Yuja Wang photo by Ian Douglas / New York Times
