Pianist Yuja Wang to Headline SFCM Fundraiser on November 17
Yuja will Culminate her Fall Residency at SFCM by Debuting Innovative Performances in Collaboration with Students and Dancers from Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
Yuja Wang previously held her first-ever masterclass at SFCM and returns this fall as another artist-in-residence.
SFCM is pleased to announce critically acclaimed and world-renowned pianist Yuja Wang as the headline performer at its annual fundraising celebration on November 17, part of efforts that will enable 100% of full-time students at SFCM to receive merit aid this semester.
This performance of The Fourth Hall with Yuja Wang at The Hibernia will include an exciting collaboration with San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet, SFCM pre-college violinist and Opus 3 Artist Apprentice Amaryn Olmeda and SFCM sophomore pianist Parker Van Ostrand.
Together, the artists will experiment to develop and present a new kind of experience, breaking through the “fourth wall” that conventionally separates performers and audiences. Yuja’s performance with ballet dancers will be the first time she has collaborated with artists from the genre.
The celebration is the final event following the first of two artist-in-residencies in which Yuja will participate this school year. In addition to a masterclass in November, Yuja will take students on an exploration of inventive forms of performance in preparation for the fundraiser.
“San Francisco Conservatory of Music is such an inspiring place for young musicians who come from all over the world. I look forward to being SFCM’s Artist-in-Residence this November,” Yuja Wang continued, “ And can’t wait to explore inventive forms of performance with the students. I’m also interested in collaborating with artists from other creative fields, so this should be a great experience for all of us.”
In the spring of 2022, Yuja led her first-ever masterclass at SFCM. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience getting to play in her masterclass. Her demonstrations, especially in the quiet, more lyrical sections, were so magical and atmospheric,” said piano student Parker Van Ostrand.
Yuja is widely recognized as one of the most important artists of her generation, both for her supreme musicianship and her ability to captivate audiences of all ages. The New Yorker described her as “the piano prodigy” known for “the brilliance of her playing and for her dramatic outfits.”
After her childhood music studies in China, she received more advanced training in North America as a teenager and her international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and dazzled audiences. In 2017 she was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year, cementing her spot in the classical music world. Yuja is also known to have worked recently with other notable artists such as Music Director Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas.
This event is presented by lead sponsor Harry Winston and presenting sponsors Chi-Foon Chan and Rebecca-Sen Chan.
Tickets for the benefit are available for purchase for The Fourth Hall with Yuja Wang now, including the first-ever SFCM-hosted after-hours event, Hall Pass. Hall Pass will feature a unique, burlesque-style party with tickets starting at $125.
Learn more about making a donation to SFCM.