Courtesy of David Bazemore

On the evening of Feb. 28, a sold-out crowd gathered outside the Granada Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara to witness an electrifying duo — Yuja Wang, a rockstar of the piano world, and Víkingur Ólafsson, a mesmerizing poet on the keys. Presented by UC Santa Barbara  promised a night of virtuosity and musical brilliance. 

Wang, who often plays alongside the world’s most acclaimed symphony orchestras, is known for her dramatic and flashy interpretations of classical pieces, along with her eye-catching outfits and dazzling presence on stage. Most notably, she performed a four-hour marathon concert for Carnegie Hall, where she played through all four of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos and his “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.”

Ólafsson is a pianist with an emotionally sensitive and dynamic approach, captivating audiences with his hypnotic, charismatic energy he brings to the stage. He recently toured Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” taking home a Grammy earlier this year for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Most piano duets are positioned one of two ways: either the players share a piano, or the backs of two grands join like puzzle pieces, with the players sitting across from each other. However, Wang and Ólafsson settled on a more unconventional approach. The two Steinways faced opposite directions, with the pair sitting in line with each other. It mirrored the very nature of their performance — distinct yet intertwined. 

A warm round of applause greeted the pair upon their stage entrance. Wang donned a long, flowy black dress with her blocky stilettos just barely visible below the edge of her skirt, whilst Ólafsson opted for an emerald green suit paired with an orange tie. 

As the room quieted and a hush of silence fell over the crowd, the first notes rang out — delicate, weightless, fleeting. Luciano Berio’s “Wasserklavier” set the stage like mist over water, before melting into the brooding romance of Franz Schubert’s “Fantasia in F minor.” 

The opening passed seamlessly between Wang and Ólafsson, each pianist echoing the other like two voices in quiet dialogue. Wang’s crisp articulation brought a crystalline sharpness while Ólafsson countered with sweeping, resonant lines. As the final moments returned to the aching theme of the first movement, the music seemed to fold in on itself. The last chord hung in the air, as if neither pianist wanted to break the spell. 

“Experiences No. 1” by John Cage was the first of two lead-ins to the highlight of the duo’s performance. It functioned as a small break in the program, one that moved towards no end goal, and no true conflict arose. The silence between notes was palpable, a faint linger of the calming yet unresolved nature of the melody. The two carefully built a lasting tension which only strengthened the pieces that followed.  

The pair then played “Study No. 6” from Conlon Nancarrow’s “Studies for Player Piano,” a collection of technically challenging pieces littered with explorations of unconventional polyrhythms. As they concluded the piece, it earned a light chuckle from the audience at its unexpectedly simple conclusion. 

The undisputed showstopper of the program was none other than John Adams’s “Hallelujah Junction,” a thrilling display of excellence and uninterrupted flow of energy. Each note was so precise and exact, it exuded an almost robotic quality only distinguished by the immense amount of emotion poured into the performance. The first movement ended in a theatrical duel, with Wang dramatically slamming her forearm onto the piano in a triumphant gesture that drew laughter from the audience. Ólafsson’s strength in expressive, emotional dynamics shone during the second movement, a delicate contrast to the first. Wang’s hands graced the piano with impossibly fast precision, matched only by the thundering, controlled lower voice that Ólafsson provided. By the third movement, their joined forces shook the stage, earning a well deserved ovation from the audience. 

After a brief intermission, Wang returned in a wardrobe change, now donning a short, blush-colored bodycon dress. The crowd settled, prepared for the next phase of the evening. 

Slowly, they began “Hymn to a Great City” by Arvo Pärt, a piece structured with a delicate rhythm and trills rippling over the melody. It possessed a meditative stillness, its harmonies suspended like stars twinkling in the night sky. The calm, yet cheerful affection embedded in this piece transitioned perfectly into the final act. 

If the first half of the program reveled in contrast and contemporary abstraction, Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances” was a return to traditional cohesion. It carried the unmistakable lilt of a waltz, its melodies rich with nostalgia, its rhythm pulsing like a heartbeat. There was an elegance to their approach — neither pianist overpowered the other, their sounds blending seamlessly in a conversation that felt both spontaneous and carefully sculpted. By the final movement, the performance had become something, quite literally, like a dance. This was a celebration of unity in motion, ending with a flourish that left the audience applauding before the final notes had fully subsided. 

However, the night was far from over, as the pair graciously provided three encores — two of Johannes Brahms’s waltzes and a piece from Antonín Dvořák. Now sat at the same piano, Wang and Ólafsson provided a series of delightfully succinct pieces. The playful atmosphere of Brahms’s “Waltz in E Major” transformed into the gentle intimacy of “Waltz in G-sharp Minor,” and ended on the lively notes of Dvořák’s “Slavonic Dance in E Minor.” 

With each encore, the audience’s enthusiasm only grew with standing ovations each more fervent than the last. By the end, the Granada Theatre wasn’t just echoing with music, but with a collective exhilaration shared between performers and listeners alike. The pair not only proved their undeniable technical prowess, but also gave the crowd a uniquely unforgettable display of passionate musicality.