March 2019 was my return to Carnegie Hall. The first time I played there was part of the prize for winning the Bradshaw & Buono Competition in 2010 (http://www.thomasyu.ca/page/bl...). I remember my heart was racing at that time (you don't forget those kinds of moments!). This time, my return was more of a feeling of comfort and familiarity. Maybe that comes with age and experience, or maybe it was that I was just tired from performing so much over the past months. Either way, it felt great to be back. The piano was different this time, I seemed to find trouble with it at rehearsal. I tried my best to voice my concerns, but given the limited amount of time, I expected little to be done about it. Sometimes in these situations you just have to adapt to the piano, not vice versa. 

The audience was packed and it was a wonderful experience. I played Scherzo No 3 and Liszt Rigoletto (a return to the same piece I performed the first time I was here). I was happy to have had the chance to play in New York twice this year, all thanks to Elena Leonova and the New York Piano Society. I really hope to be back again some day, if they will have me!

His Liszt had all the bravura and beauty you could hope for, and his Dutilleux was pure rock and roll.

Erica Worth, Chief Editor of Pianist Magazine

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