Yannick and Yuja

Strauss's Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life) is an autobriographical work in which the story's hero is actually a reflection of the composer himself. This noble and majestic tone poem depicts a hero in victorious battle along with humorous musical depictions of Strauss's critics. In contrast to this more mature and self-reflective work, the Serenade for Winds is a lively piece Strauss wrote as a teenage student in Munich. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, one of the most challenging pieces in the repertoire for the instrument, is a fast-paced offering for the remarkable virtuosic talents of Curtis-trained Yuja Wang.