CHESS / MUSIC / MATH // INTERFACE

INTRODUCING THE GREATEST 

CONCERT PIANIST OF ALL TIMES: 
YUJA WANG

Yuja Wang was born in Beijing February 10, 1987. 

She started playing piano at the age of 6. 

[Yuja Wang plays Chopin Waltz in 

C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 at the age of 8.]

Yuja Wang, Chopin, Age 8

A student of the Central Consevatory of Music,

China, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada,

and the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, with Gary Graffman,

Yuja has matured into a sparkling force on the piano.

{Yuja Wang plays "Flight of the Bumble-Bee, in 2008}

Yuja Wang: Flight of the Bumble-Bee

Check out her performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1

played in the Helsinki Music Center with the Finnish Radio Symphony

Orchestra, Hannu Lintu, Conductor:

Yuja Wang Tchiakovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1, September, 2012

Yuja Wang recently visited Boston on October 18, 2013,

Jordan Hall, playing Chopin, (a total sell-out crowd) and

at Symphony Hall, on March 27-29, 2014, playing Prokofiev 

Piano Concerto No. 2 with the BSO, Sir Andrew Davis, guest conductor.

FRONT ROW, CENTER!

This intimate photo of Yuja Wang playing in an "Open Rehearsal"

Thursday, March 27, was taken by Hillary Sowa, sitting front-row, center. 

The whole family attended this concert: Mr. Sowa, Hillary and their two sons: 

Aidan and Ryan. The boys are studying piano and enjoy playing, that is

when they are not thinking about chess. These are the same two

lads who regularly attend BCC Saturday tournaments and they are

both headed towards chess mastery. I have noted that there are many

BCC junior chess stars who not only excel in chess but also pursue the

study and enjoyment of the piano and music in general. For as Philidor 

(1726-1795) illustrated so brilliantly, there is a strong interface between chess,

music and mathematics. [Note: Emanuel Lasker, World Chess Champion from 1894 to 

1921 was also a Ph.D in mathematics. Chessmetrics.com rates Emanuel's top performance 

at 2886. Older brother Berthold, who taught Emanuel chess, earned a Ph.D. and was 

Professor of Medicine, in Berlin. Also note that Dr. Berthold Lasker visited the USA in 

1902 when he won the New York State Chess Championship!] 

 Many of the parents of BCC chess juniors are

successful computer programmers and researchers in medical science. 

These occupations require a lot of mathematical talent. And the kids

of these parents demonstrate this talent as they execute combinations

and successfully navigate complex chess endgames in their quest to 

win chess games and master the Royal Game.

FROM THE BALCONY

Another perspective of Yuja Wang in action during the Open Rehearsal.

Photo: Steve Stepak. Yes! I was lucky to have been assigned the best seat

in the balcony for viewing music featuring a piano (left side). [It was Mr. Sowa

who gave me a heads-up about this event, when we met at the 2014 Boston

Chess Congress!] [Note: computer devices: "tablet" and "i-phone" sitting 

on top of the piano. Yuja Wang has all her "sheet music" and notes on her 

repertoire loaded into the tablet.  Wow! This is the 21st Century!]

Though I could not make a recording of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2,

as performed by Yuja Wang with the BSO in Boston, I provide this

youtube below, recorded at an earlier date, so the reader can get the full

impact of her genius.  Yuja Wang is indeed the Magnus Carlsen of the piano!

Yuja Wang: Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, Part 1

Yuja Wang, Prokofiev, Part 2

Yuja Wang, Prokofiev, Part 3

Now, check out this interview/chat with

Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra

and Yuja Wang. The SBSO Group made a "live" recording of Yuja giving

a concert where she played not only Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2,

considered one of the most difficult concerti ever written, but if that

were not enough to wow her audience, many of whom were kids, as we

see in the intro to this video, she performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2,

not only difficult but absolutely heavenly to listen to. Yuja plays with

passion and precision, a rare combination in the performing arts world.

Take a listen: 

Yuja Wang / Gustavo Dudamel / Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 excerpt

and the complete Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2

Yuja Wang / Salvatore Oteri / Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2

Listening to Yuja Wang perform is like playing over games

of the former world chess champion Jose Raul Capablanca!