Pianist Yuja Wang today made public an email sent to her by writer, critic and Radio 3 presenter Norman LeBrecht, and her response that accuses the journalist of “derogatory misogynistic bullying”.
Lebrecht had written to the musician querying her decision to withdraw from a BBC Lebrecht Interview stating: “I am surprised and disappointed. I thought you were a serious person who stood by her commitments. I may have to revise that opinion.”
On her official Instagram account, over the screen grab of his email, Wang wrote her response: “@normanlebrecht this derogatory misogynistic bullying need [sic] to stop. We are human beings who grow with nourishing energy, not characters for you to abuse.”
Lebrecht has had a relationship with Radio 3 for more than 25 years, presenting lebrecht.live from 2000, and The Lebrecht Interview from 2006 to 2016 and again in 2024; but Sam Jackson, controller, said today that their relationship will not be continuing.
“When we saw the social media post we took action – we have spoken to Norman Lebrecht and we will no longer be working with him at BBC Radio 3,” said Jackson.
“Yuja Wang had agreed with me a year ago to do a Lebrecht Interview for Radio 3. She kept putting it off until I lost patience and sent her an email that was perhaps a tad sharp. There was nothing bullying in telling her that I thought less of her than before, nor was it misogynistic: I would say the same to a male artist. She published the email, the BBC took a view and pulled my next series. I apologised to Sam Jackson and the BBC for any unintended embarrassment,” said Lebrecht.
Lebrecht wasn’t currently contracted for any future shows, but discussions were being held about future guests, a BBC spokesperson confirmed.
Lebrecht also runs a popular and often controversial classical music gossip site, Slipped Disc, has worked for papers including the Telegraph and the Evening Standard, and is the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction.
Wang is on her way to London where she will perform with the London Symphony Orchestra on Sunday 1 March. A representative confirmed she had no further comment to make.
