Yuja Wang returns to Curtis Institute of Music in new faculty role | EarRelevant

EarRelevant Staff | 1 OCT 2025

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania— Pianist Yuja Wang, one of the most celebrated classical musicians of her generation and a 2008 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, will join the Philadelphia conservatory’s faculty in a newly created position beginning with the 2026–27 academic year, the school announced Tuesday.

Wang will serve as Artist Collaborator, Piano, a role designed to combine teaching, coaching, and artistic projects across disciplines. The appointment follows Curtis’ centennial in 2024 and reflects the school’s effort to position itself for its second century as a leading conservatory.

In her new post, Wang will mentor piano students directly while also engaging in collaborative projects with musicians across the school’s programs. She is expected to lead special artistic initiatives, offer coaching sessions, and help students bridge the gap between academic training and the realities of a global performance career.

“Yuja’s return to Curtis is a wonderful development for the young musicians of our time,” said Nick DiBerardino, Curtis provost and dean. “As an acclaimed artist, Yuja has engaged audiences on the world’s greatest stages. As an alum, she understands Curtis’ commitment to nurturing creativity and empowering the distinctive artistic voice of each student.”

The school said her appointment was encouraged by longtime faculty member Ford Mylius Lallerstedt, who has mentored Wang since her student days. “She represents a new and fresh direction in musical education for our students that speaks of musical art as a creative and present responsibility,” Lallerstedt said.

Wang, 38, is one of the most visible pianists on the international stage. Known for her technical brilliance and often spontaneous interpretations, she has performed with many of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras. Her breakthrough came in 2007, when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a performance that drew worldwide attention.

Since then, Wang has built a career marked by sold-out concert appearances, high-profile collaborations, and a series of acclaimed recordings. She signed with Deutsche Grammophon in 2009 and went on to release multiple award-winning albums. In 2023, she won her first Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo with The American Project, recorded with conductor and fellow Curtis graduate Teddy Abrams.

She has also been recognized for unusual feats of stamina and versatility. In 2023, she and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin performed all four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos plus the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in a single evening at Carnegie Hall with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a marathon program that critics said combined “clarity and poetry” with remarkable endurance.

Beyond her solo work, Wang has long-standing chamber partnerships with musicians including cellist Gautier Capuçon and violinist Leonidas Kavakos, and she has served as an artistic partner with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, directing tours in Europe and South America.

“Curtis has played a meaningful role in my artistic journey, and it continues to be an important part of my life,” Wang said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to a place that has given me so much, and I’m excited to both teach and learn alongside such talented and creative students.”

Founded in 1924, the Curtis Institute of Music admits about 150 students each year on a tuition-free basis. The school emphasizes individualized training with distinguished faculty and offers more than 100 public performances annually, including orchestral concerts, opera, and chamber recitals.

With Wang’s appointment, Curtis adds one of its most high-profile alumni to a faculty roster that has historically included many of the world’s leading artists. The conservatory stated that her role reflects a continuing effort to connect its students with performers who are actively shaping the global music scene. ■

EXTERNAL LINKS:

Yuja Wang: yujawang.com
Curtis Institute of Music: curtis.edu

About the author:

Our EarRelevant Staff works mostly behind the scenes! Articles with the byline EarRelevant Staff are often comprised of content not easily attributable to a single author. Some portions of text may be drawn from press releases. Artificial intelligence may also be involved in some aspects of content.

Read more by EarRelevant Staff.