Yuja Wang - Superstar Pianist Plays Too Many Encores
04 March 2026

Yuja Wang - Superstar Pianist Plays Too Many Encores

Classical Music Happy Hour

About

Superstar pianist Yuja Wang joins Manny Ax to talk about bad pianos, encores, what influences her musical interpretations, and her love for Prokofiev. In our Newly Dead game, Yuja puts her knowledge of composer deaths to the test.


Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts. 


Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.


Music used in today’s episode includes:


Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3 "La chasse": IV 

Beethoven 

Boris Giltburg, Piano


Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro

Beethoven

Boris Giltburg, Piano 


Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545 "Sonata facile": I. Allegro

Mozart

Jenő Jandó, Piano


Concerto No. 2 Op 18 II Adagio Sostenuto

Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano

Leopold Stokowski, conductor

The Philadelphia Orchestra 1924


Scythian Suite, Op. 20: II. The Enemy of God, III. Night 

Prokofiev

Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra

Theodore Kuchar, conductor


Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 6: IV. Marche Funebre 

Scriabin

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Konstantin Scherbakov & Igor Golovschin  


Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": II. Marcia funebre 

Beethoven

Danish Chamber Orchestra & Ádám Fischer 


Symphony No. 44 in E minor Trauer Sinfonie Mourning III Adagio

Haydn

Capella Istropolitana & Barry Wordsworth


Credits


Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.


Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.


Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.


Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.