Composer as Celebrity, Musician as Martial Artist

It is not often that a performance at the New York Philharmonic generates the buzz that attended Wednesday night’s premiere of Tan Dun’s Piano Concerto. Mr. Tan, whose concert works combine Asian elements with the avant-garde, became an international celebrity when his ferociously propulsive film score for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” earned him an Academy Award in 2001. Mr. Tan’s concerto was written for the phenomenally popular piano virtuoso Lang Lang, who attracts devoted audiences no matter what he plays. Avery Fisher Hall was nearly full for the concert, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.