Magnus Lindberg Composes Piano Concerto for Yuja Wang
In October, Magnus Lindberg unveils his third piano concerto, premiered by soloist Yuja Wang, the San Francisco Symphony, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Wang tours the concerto to Toronto, New York, Paris, Hamburg, and Rome throughout the fall and spring.
Composer Magnus Lindberg’s new Piano Concerto No. 3 for superstar pianist Yuja Wang debuts on October 13-15 with the San Francisco Symphony and Esa-Pekka Salonen, a close collaborator of many decades. After the world premiere, Wang tours the concerto internationally to orchestras in five different cities: Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Oct 20 & 22), New York Philharmonic (Jan 5–10), Orchestre de Paris (Apr 13–14), NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in Hamburg (May 5 & 7), and Orchestra dell’Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (May 11–13).
> Oct 13-15: Magnus Lindberg, Piano Concerto No. 3 (World Premiere)
Lindberg, a pianist himself who grew up watching legends such as Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels perform in Finland, has a deep love for the instrument. He has written two previous piano concertos, for Paul Crossley and Yefim Bronfman. Lindberg states, “Piano for me has always been the ultimate instrument. A piano onstage in a big hall—there is nothing more beautiful.”
Lindberg describes his concerto for Yuja Wang as epic in scope: “It is almost like an opera—it’s so rich in its storytelling. It’s huge. In a way, it’s the biggest piece I’ve written.” Composed in three movements (“I would almost call it three concertos in one piece,” says Lindberg), the score is woven together as a multi-faceted narrative featuring various musical characters, each marked by distinct harmonies and tempos:
“I have a chart of eight different characters that I’ve arranged like a William Faulkner novel: There are many stories going on at the same time—you present one, move on to the next one, then return to another one. Every time a story returns, it has something new to say.”
> READ: “Magnus Lindberg Introduces Piano Concerto No. 3”
The Piano Concerto No. 3 was commissioned by China National Centre for The Performing Arts, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonie de Paris - Orchestre de Paris, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and the New York Philharmonic.
WORLD PREMIERE INFORMATION
Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Friday, October 14, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco
Yuja Wang, piano
San Francisco Symphony / Esa-Pekka Salonen
CARL NIELSEN Helios Overture
MAGNUS LINDBERG Piano Concerto No. 3 (WORLD PREMIERE)
BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
Post-Concert Q&A: A post-concert audience Q&A session with composer Magnus Lindberg and pianist Yuja Wang will be presented from the stage following the concert on October 13. Free to all ticket holders.
TOUR DATES
October 13-15, 2022
Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco, California
Yuja Wang, piano
San Francisco Symphony / Esa-Pekka Salonen
October 20 & 22, 2022
Roy Thomson Hall | Toronto, Canada
Yuja Wang, piano
Toronto Symphony Orchestra / Gustavo Gimeno
January 5–10, 2023
David Geffen Hall | New York, New York
Yuja Wang, piano
New York Philharmonic / Santtu-Matias Rouvali
April 13–14, 2023
Philharmonie de Paris
Grande salle Pierre Boulez | Paris, France
Yuja Wang, piano
Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä
May 5 & 7, 2023
Elbphilharmonie | Hamburg, Germany
Yuja Wang, piano
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester / Esa-Pekka Salonen
May 11-13, 2023
Santa Cecilia Hall | Rome, Italy
Yuja Wang, piano
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla
