The charismatic and inspiring Claudio Abbado and the mesmerising young pianist Yuja Wang, with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, hold the audience spellbound in this opening concert of the 2009 Lucerne Festival. Prokofiev's popular and vibrant Third Piano Concerto demonstrates the composer's sharp musical wit, and Yuja Wang is a brilliant exponent of the work. Following this, and chiming beautifully with the festival's theme of the relationship between art and nature, Mahler's First Symphony is given an illuminating and rapturously received performance.
With more than 120 performances a year, Yuja Wang lives a nomadic lifestyle. Travelling the world, two extra small trolley suitcases carry the essentials for a two week trip: dresses, shoes, iPad, iPod, and Smartphone. The 27-year-old Yuja leads a new generation of pianists who can comfortably play anything thanks to phenomenal technique and healthy self-confidence. Even so, she stands squarely in the tradition of great piano virtuosi, offering much more than just technical wizardry alone...