Yuja Wang’s New Year Playlist

“For me, it’s about the magic of transformation and how we can shape our future by manifesting bright, beautiful thoughts in the moment,” pianist Yuja Wang tells Apple Music about the possibilities of the Year of the Snake. In 2024, the artist released recordings of Messiaen and an eclectic Vienna recital, but she’s chosen a different theme for these seasonal selections. “The playlist focuses on music that has elements of fairy tales, the enchantment of a made-up world in our imagination,” she says. “The sound transports you into a different place.” Wang’s destinations include the folk-tale realm of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, the dark domain of Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the marvellous landscape of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She includes her rendition of Vladimir Horowitz’s version of Liszt’s piano transcription of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, as well as Horowitz’s own performance of Alexander Scriabin’s apocalyptic Vers la flamme. For Wang, the magic of togetherness is especially meaningful during the holidays. “I moved to the US when I was 15, and sadly, I don’t usually have time to be with family to celebrate,” she says. “But our tradition stresses the importance of having a circle of friends we trust to celebrate together.”