Yuja, a new documentary exploring the life and career of superstar pianist Yuja Wang, is to receive a limited UK cinema release from 11 September.
Directed by Lorna Tucker and featuring cinematography by Seamus McGarvey, the film will premiere on Sky Arts in the UK at the end of the month, alongside broadcasts on ZDF/ARTE, SVT (Sweden), NTR (Netherlands), and Stageview TV in Canada.
What is the Yuja documentary about?
With the tagline 'greatness demands everything', the film looks at the sacrifice and dedication required to be a top performer in the public eye, and at the specific challenges facing Wang, including media scrutiny, 'relentless pressure' and 'racism and sexism for defying expectations of what an Asian woman in classical music should be'.
The film sees Wang at the height of her career and at a crossroads: 'Whispers of whether she has peaked collide with her own private doubts. Has she lost the spark? As the demands of success and the sacrifices of a solitary life close in, she begins to question what it all amounts to, and what comes next.'
Watch the Yuja trailer below:
The documentary will be screened at the Curzon Soho, followed by a live Q&A with Yuja Wang and director Lorna Tucker. For tickets, click here.
Who is Yuja Wang?
Famed for her fearless, theatrical style and dazzling interpretations of 20th-century piano works by the likes of Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Scriabin, virtuoso Chinese-American pianist Yuja Wang has performed all around the world and has made many bestselling albums.
Her 2024 release for Deutsche Grammophon The Vienna Recital received a glowing review in BBC Music Magazine's August 2024 issue, while her 2025 release for the label of Shostakovich piano concertos and solo works featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andris Nelsons.
In April 2025 she appeared on the cover of BBC Music Magazine and spoke about managing a glittering career that, in truth, she had never really planned.
