Lisa Yui

Lisa Yui at Yamaha Artist Services NYC

I first met Dr. Lisa Yui  two years ago at her Juilliard Evening Division Piano Class. If you’ve ever worked with Dr. Yui, you will understand why I then signed up for two more of  her classes. She is a captivating educator with a wry sense of humor and seemingly limitless energy.

There are many videos of Ms. Yui’s piano performances. However her September 14th 2023 concert at Yamaha Artist Services was the first time that I would get to see her give an in-person recital. It was also my first visit to Yamaha’s NYC Salon.

Yamaha Artist Services

Yamaha Artist Services entrance

The Yamaha Artist Services Salon is on the 3rd floor at 589 5th Avenue, but you can’t get in from 5th Ave. The unmarked entrance is round the corner on 54th Street. There, the doorman scanned me in using the QR code that Yamaha had emailed me.

The Salon is modern and tasteful. Superbly designed lighting showcases the performance area without undermining the intimate feel of the venue. A Yamaha grand piano owner myself, I was in awe of the immaculate CFX concert grand that Lisa Yui would play.

The Performance

It is not my intent here to go into detail of the program repertoire, listed below. It was no surprise that before each work, Ms. Yui would turn to the audience and discuss it in some detail. I particularly appreciated her introduction to those works that were new to me, such as the Dussek. Even when performing she continues to educate, salting her commentary with splashes of humor.

• Bach, J.S.: Italian Concerto BWV 971
• Dussek: Sonata No. 24 Op. 61 ‘Elégie Harmonique’
• Qigang Chen: Instants d’un Opera de Pekin
• Weber: Sonata No. 1 in C major Op. 24

The Encore

Ms. Yui challenged us to identify her encore. I was both enchanted by the work, and baffled as to who might have written it. Were there hints of impressionism, perhaps? Pianist Michael Kaykov enlightened me afterwards: it was Liszt’s Elegy No. 2 S. 197.

Closing Thoughts

As I write this two days later, I am still somewhat stunned from Lisa Yui’s recital. As a performer she has a strong stage presence and intensely controlled delivery. As her would-be reviewer, I was too mesmerized by her performance to take any notes.

If I were to choose one moment that encapsulated Ms. Yui’s persona, it was when she described just how difficult the Qigang Chen was. She then turned to the piano with a devilish grin, and ripped into it with gusto.