Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, Carl Vine :: Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: Joyce Yang, Silver Medalist

A True Treasure

John Feltis | University Place, WA | 10/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ms Yang plays with a maturity that far exceeds her age of 19. For those that have had the privalege of viewing her performance at the 12th Van Cliburn Competion know the pure depth of emotion she expresses through her music. Treat yourself to her wonderful performance. Your spirit will soar!"

Definitely Yang, and not Yin: An Inspiring Young Pianist to

Eden | New England Shores | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joyce Yang won the silver medal at the recent 12th Van Cliburn Competition. She also received first place for the best performance of a contemporary piece; and first place for the best performance in chamber music (with the Takacs string quartet.) If you have a chance, take a look at the DVD of the competition--where her chamber performance is briefly shown. A testament to the respect and chemistry between her and the Takacs string quartet is that she has been invited to perform with them on one of their next tours.



Joyce Yang is young but she is not a newcomer--she came from Korea to study at Juilliard and won a competition to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of thirteen, playing the same Prokofieff Concerto #2 that she performed in the final concerto round of the Van Cliburn. Her playing is clean and musical. There is a maturity and a grasp of the music that is palpable. Plus, she has a charismatic personality that imparts passion and a plucky sense of humor. What I can't figure out is how someone with such thin arms and fingers can play with such stamina and musicality. She "gets" really complex music, like the Vine sonata...and then rolls right into the Liszt right afterwards.



Joyce Yang has the potential to become a truly great pianist. How she matures as an artist and grows as a person will be watched with great interest. Buy this CD!! I hope she records with the Takacs Quartet--buy that one too if it comes along!"

Joyce has a big heart and huge sound

Dave | Golden | 09/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've seen 2 master classical pianists, Mitsuko Uchida, and Joyce Yang. I have Mitsuka's 5 CD box set of Mozart on Phillips. I was told it took Spivey Hall, on Clayton College Campus in Atlanta 20 years of consecutive invitations before they could schedule her recital, Halloween, Oct 31st 2002. I was 2nd row, what I call the handkerchief section. Violinist Mark Steinberg accompanied her that memorable evening of Mozart's five violin Sonatas. My favorite performance still, was Joyce's Silver Medal recital inside Harris Concert Hall, in Aspen, July 2nd, 2005, performing Bach, Vine, Scarlatti, Currier, Chopin & Liszt. I sat front row center at Lakewood Cultural Center for Joyce's March 23 2006 recital, and 4th row again in Aspen for her Prokofiev piano concerto with the Aspen Festival Orchestra, July 2nd 2006. All 3 times I was greeted by her with a hug backstage Aspen and in the public lobby at Lakewood. She has a magnetic, sparkling, bubbling, wonderful spirit and personality, is constantly laughing off all the well deserved fans praises, and even introduced me to her Mom. I told her it's becsause of her sophomore yr high school tour to Decatur, Illinios' Millikin University recital, that my Mom attended that I discovered her prior to winning the Van Cliburn silver. Oh, and Alexander Kobrin, did not "blow away the competition", during the 17 day competition in the opinion of some judges and reporters of the Dallas Morning News who proclaimed "Joyce Yang...won the heart right from the start... She's a brilliant pianist and million-volt presence on stage". Whew, I'm going again 4th row to see Joyce with the Colorado Symphony Oct 1st 2006. Also reccommend Jennifer Lim, Canadian pianist, Juillard & Curtis Institute trained, with perhaps the finest Chopin recording on the Green House label.

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