For this unique program the New York Philharmonic’s Artist-in-Residence Yuja Wang assumed the role of “pianist/leader” in three 20th-century concertos.

The results were captivating, but mixed. The concert opener, Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, replete with sharp, angular melodic lines and unusual instrumental pairings, puts great demands on the winds and brass, requiring players to perform with precision and clarity while negotiating difficult transitions between robust tutti sections and delicate solo passages.

While Wang brought extraordinary energy and rigor to the piano part, she was a less than totally commanding leader and her infrequent cues to the ensemble were often unclear. Fortunately, the virtuosic Philharmonic players required little help maintaining balance while negotiating the complex score.

With their expertise and Wang’s flawless playing, this work and the spiky Janáček that followed came off with some slightly flubbed entrances but no major glitches.

After a stately Largo opening, the first movement of the Stravinsky quickly transitioned to a briskly animated Allegro section reminiscent of the bustling figurations in Bach’s keyboard partitas and suites.

In the solemn middle movement, also labeled Largo, Wang’s playing was wondrously serene as it interacted with the bright sounds of the trumpets and clarinets. In the breathlessly rendered Allegro finale she navigated the rhythms with extraordinary clarity, while the orchestra offered a finely focused backdrop.

With her right hand free throughout, Wang was able to provide slightly stronger leadership in Janáček’s Capriccio for Piano Left-Hand and Winds. The oddly-scored opus – flute (doubling piccolo), two trumpets, three trombones, tenor tuba and piano left hand – is less carefree than the designation “capriccio” would suggest.

Originally titled Vzdor (Defiance) by the composer and written for Otakar Hoffmann, a Czech pianist who lost the use of his right arm in World War 1, the work’s constantly changing mood alternates between somber and nostalgic.

Yuja Wang directs the New York Philharmonic

A bustling opening to the Allegro soon evolved into a march, then yielded to a nostalgic waltz and ended with the piano trilling above the low brass. In the equally mutable Adagio, Wang sometimes seemed to be directing herself, shaping the beautiful legato piano melody with her right hand.

In the stomping Allegretto she beat time with her free hand as the tuba lumpishly imitated the flute. The final Andante was the most diverse movement. Beginning with a gorgeous piano and flute duet, it soon gave way to high-spirited brass and keyboard flourishes. After the piano moved into an extended, dark-toned solo, the entire ensemble came back in to bring the concerto to a rapturous end.

The Philharmonic musicians have performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue more than a hundred times, but this was their first time taking on the original jazz band version by Ferde Grofé.

Associate principal Ben Adler’s delivery of the instantly recognizable clarinet glissando at the start of the work set the tone for what followed: a joyful and exuberantly energetic performance that brought smiles to the faces of both the audience and the performers.

As expected, Wang played with dazzling virtuosity, flawlessly handling the intricate passages with remarkable clarity and lightning fast speed and adding delicate embellishments and personal touches that made the music feel wonderfully fresh and spontaneous.

Together with the Philharmonic musicians, who responded wholeheartedly to her energy and improvisational spirit, she created a thrilling interpretation that captured the essence of Gershwin’s landmark composition and brought the evening to an exhilarating, highly satisfying close.