Hong Kong presenter offers full refunds after programme cut at Yuja Wang concert

Premiere Performances apologises after the withdrawal of Tsfasman’s Jazz Suite reduced the pianist’s advertised participation in her November 10 concert with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Hong Kong presenter Premiere Performances is offering full refunds to ticket holders following a programme change at Yuja Wang’s November 10 concert with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The withdrawal of Alexander Tsfasman’s Jazz Suite for Piano and Orchestra prompted complaints about the pianist’s reduced appearance and the late notice given to audiences.

In a message to patrons, the organiser said the musicians had decided to remove the suite from the entire Asian tour for artistic reasons. It added that assurances of additional encores to compensate for the shortened programme had not been fully fulfilled. Local reporting also confirmed that Hong Kong’s Consumer Council had received complaints.

A programme change with a substantial impact

The advertised programme paired Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony and Kapustin’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and the Tsfasman suite.

Removing the latter left Kapustin’s concerto as Wang’s only scheduled piano work. The presenter’s updated listing places Mozart’s symphony alone after the interval and specifies that both symphonies were to be performed without a conductor. Tickets ranged from HK$320 to HK$1,980.

Premiere Performances said it had resisted accepting the withdrawal and continued discussions about retaining the suite or finding alternative repertoire until the day of the performance. Hong Kong was the opening stop of the tour.

The organiser acknowledged that audiences received very late notice and that the proposed additional stage time for Wang had not been fully realised.

Refunds and unanswered questions

Ticket holders have until November 25 at 11:59 p.m. to submit the organiser’s refund form. According to its notice, refunds will be returned to the original payment method within eight weeks of receiving the completed application. Customers who paid through bank transfer or FPS are asked to contact the presenter directly.

The statement attributes the withdrawal to the musicians collectively. It does not explain the specific artistic reasons behind the decision or identify who provided the assurances about compensatory encores.

Elsewhere on the tour, Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts has published a revised programme for its November 15 concert, including Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks alongside the Mozart, Prokofiev and Kapustin works. The venue also offered ticket holders an opportunity to obtain refunds before the performance.