Considered as one of the world’s foremost classical violinists, Charles Yang will be performing with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra this April. The Grammy Award-winning violinist, will take center stage at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, to perform alongside the MPO in the debut performance of Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto.
A recipient of the 2018 Leonard Bernstein Award, Yang is described as a musician who “plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star”. Captivating audiences around the world with his unique blend of classical mastery and electrifying charisma his illustrious career has taken him to renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Royal Danish Theatre, and even the Forbidden City in Beijing.
An accomplished composer, arranger, and collaborator, Yang has performed at celebrated festivals including Schleswig-Holstein, Aspen, and Ravinia. His versatility also extends beyond classical music. As a member of the genre-defying trio Time for Three, Charles merges Americana, modern pop, and classical, and in 2023, the group was honored with a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for their recording Letters for the Future.
Ahead of his upcoming performance, The Peak has a tete-a-tete with the accomplished Charles Yang to uncover his remarkable journey and artistic vision.
Are you looking forward to collaborating with the MPO for this concert?
Absolutely! So excited to come to Malaysia for the first time and to work with the MPO. My grandfather was actually born in Malaysia so this trip is super special to me.
As a musician, what appeals to you most about Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto?
I’ve always admired Philip Glass’ music with his hypnotic musical language. There is always a sense of motion and groove in his music that completely draws in the listener and is almost therapeutic to play.
This piece was written with Glass’ father in mind and was one of his first ventures into non-theatrical orchestral writing. Having played a lot of his quartets, it is so fulfilling to experience his vocabulary and style in an orchestral setting.
Leading the concert is Katharina Wincor, have you worked with her before and are you excited about working with her for the concert?
This will be my first time working with Katharina. I’ve seen her conduct before and she is incredible so I am very much looking forward to working with her!
Your music is not confined to one specific style. What inspired this? How would you describe your music?
I’ve always been a very curious person when it comes to music. Classical violin will always be my roots but having grown up in Austin, Texas, I was always drawn to the sound of the blues which led me towards learning how to improvise.
From there, I always try to fuse my classical roots to whatever genre of music I’m getting into. Music to me really is an open conversation. I don’t see it genre-specific and that is what excites me and how I write or perform.
If you think about it, I’ll be performing a concerto with the MPO by Philip Glass whose musical language is very different from something like the Beethoven violin concerto but both are under the classical umbrella. I love that in today’s time, one can play the music by Bach and a bluegrass tune all on the same programme.
You’re an accomplished composer, arranger and songwriter – which of these interests and challenges you the most?
I love all of it and they all come with their own challenges. I feel so lucky that in my career, I’ve gotten to write songs with my band ‘Time For Three’, composed for myself and other artists and even helped write the soundtrack to the movie “Land”. Each piece I create is kind of like a time capsule or a diary where I felt the need to create those particular sounds on that given day or month.
What sort of experience do you want to impart to Malaysian audiences here for your performance this April?
I’m just so thrilled to bring a concerto by Philip Glass, one of today’s leading American composers, to Malaysia, the place where my grandfather was born. On top of that, the programme will also include works by composers Salieri and Mendelssohn. It goes to show that music transcends genre, language or race and we can experience it all ‘live’ for a night.
Charles Yang will perform with the MPO for Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto on Saturday, 19 April 2025 at 8.00 pm at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP). Ticket details and further information here.
