January 28, 2008
Those lucky enough to be in the audience when 13-year-old Joyce Yang made her professional debut with the California Symphony in 1999, along with those who weren’t, will not want to miss her triumphant return on January 27 and 29 as a world-renowned 2005 Van Cliburn Silver Medalist.
Now 21, the Korean-born former prodigy has grown up to become one of the most gifted pianists of her generation. Yang regularly performs with world-class orchestras and in major recitals, the result of capturing second place in what has called “an Olympian event in the world of classical music.” Yang was not only the youngest competitor in a field of 35 in the last Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, held every four years, she was also selected to receive the Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performance of Chamber Music and the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work.
Showcasing young prodigies is a California Symphony tradition and personal passion of Music Director Barry Jekowsky that dates back to the orchestra’s premiere concert on May 17, 1987, when the featured guest artist was 16-year-old violinist Kyoko Takezawa. Among the others who have since achieved international fame are violinists Sarah Chang (then 9), Leila Josefowicz (12), and Hilary Hahn (18); pianists Helen Huang (10), and Chloe Pang (13); and cellist Alisa Weilerstein (14).
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A sampling of the media coverage that helped make these concerts a sell-out event:
CONTRA COSTA TIMES feature story
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