In January 2005, the great pianist Rudu Lupu (1945–2022) was absent, for health reasons, from concerts scheduled in the USA and Canada for January and February. Canada's National Arts Centre in Ottawa wrote an article on January 19, 2005, aimed at viewers "for more information":
"Rising star Yuja Wang steps in for pianist Radu Lupu who has been obliged to cancel his Feb. 8-9 NAC Orchestra concerts with Pinchas Zukerman for medical reasons (...) the National Arts Centre is pleased to announce that Lupu will be replaced by rising star Chinese pianist Yuja Wang for these Ovation Series concerts at 20:00 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. (...) Earlier in January, The New York Times wrote: “The Grieg [Piano Concerto] came with another powerful attraction: the remarkable 17-year-old Chinese-born pianist Yuja Wang. Ms. Wang, a student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, performed with an assurance that belied her age, displaying a clean, sparkling technique and plenty of strength but also a fine sense of rhythmic freedom."
