As every parent knows, the time inevitably comes when a young person we cherish begins to adopt a darker, edgier attitude. The sweet sounds they used to make are replaced by sometimes frightening outbursts, reflecting a more complicated and volatile emotional life.
And so it is with Yuja Wang, the widely acclaimed concert pianist who will give her fifth Santa Barbara appearance as part of UCSB Arts and Lectures’ Classical Series at the Granada Theatre on Monday, May 2.
Like so many young virtuosos, Wang largely made her name playing romantic warhorses, with an emphasis on Russian repertoire. But her sparkling performance of the Gershwin concerto with the London Symphony at the Granada Theatre last March signaled she is expanding her horizons, and Monday's recital, presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, signals a major shift.