Around the Music Festival

A documentary film titled *YUJA*, following Chinese-born pianist Yuja Wang, has been completed and is set for release in Europe and the United States this September. Directed by Lorna Tucker, the film is a co-production between Sky UK and Arte.

The film examines how Wang became one of the world’s leading pianists, focusing on the extreme dedication required to perform over 100 concerts a year. It explores various facets of her self-expression while also unpacking the racism and sexism she has faced as an Asian woman in the public eye.

The film also features interviews with numerous musicians who have performed with Wang, such as conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, pianist Emanuel Ax, conductor Teddy Abrams, and former manager Philippa Cole.

Wang, 39, was born in Beijing. Raised in a family where her father was a percussionist and her mother a dancer, she began piano lessons at the age of six. After studying at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, she went to the United States to attend the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied under Gary Graffman. She garnered attention in 2002 by winning the concerto competition at the Aspen Music Festival.

In 2003, she made her European debut performing with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the baton of David Zinman. In March 2007, she stepped in for Martha Argerich to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit. This success brought her into the spotlight; two years later, in 2009, she signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and has since performed extensively with world-renowned musicians and orchestras.

Director Tucker is a maverick who has openly shared his past: running away from home at fifteen, living on the streets, and at one point struggling with drug addiction. She was scouted while living on the street and entered the modeling world; later, she studied at art school, ventured into filmmaking, and became known for his work on documentaries.

PHOTO：Cleveland Orchestra　/　Yevhen Gulenko