A comedic performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall by superstar pianist Yuja Wang, Korean-British pianist Hyung-ki Joo and Russian-German violinist Aleksey Igudesman was riddled with unpleasant and offensive jokes about sexual appeal and Chinese heritage. Was the performance an example of ‘taking control of the narrative’, or just a lewd repetition of tired stereotypes, asks Joshua Barone.
A crude joke by the Korean-British pianist Hyung-ki Joo set the tone for the evening: “I know I’m not Yuja Wang, but some girlfriends do call me Huge-a Wang.”
Mr. Joo and his comedy partner, the Russian-German violinist Aleksey Igudesman, were performing with Ms. Wang, the superstar pianist, on Monday as part of her Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall. Igudesman & Joo, as they call their duo, are trained (and skilled) musicians who imbue classical music with laugh-out-loud humor... Keep reading on New York Times