Pianist Joyce Yang has a lot of packing to do in coming weeks – and not just because she’s heading to Australia. She’s also moving house.

“We’re moving to California,” she says. “Things are going to get a little bit chaotic around here.”

‘Here’, is Birmingham, Alabama, where Yang and her husband, contrabassist Richard Cassarino, have lived for the better part of a decade. Cassarino has just been made Principal Bass of Pacific Symphony, based in Orange County, California.

“We’ve gotten to know this place pretty well and we really like it here,” says Yang. “But Richard is originally from California and he’s happy to move somewhere nearer to the ocean. There will be a lot more concert opportunities there but I’m going to miss this place.”

As well as boxing up her home, Yang is also packing her suitcases for a trip to Australia for a series of Piano+ solo recitals in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, and a performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with Simone Young conducting.

“I’ve always felt most comfortable in a chamber setting,” says Yang. “If there’s other musicians around me, I can feed off their energy, so it’s much easier. But solo recitals...