The BBC has ended its relationship with classical music commentator and Radio 3 presenter Norman Lebrecht after an email sent to pianist Yuja Wang was made public.

Lebrecht, who also operates the popular classical music gossip site Slipped Disc, wrote to Wang after learning that she had withdrawn from an interview he planned to conduct for his BBC show.

“I am surprised and disappointed,” he wrote. “I thought you were a serious person who stood by her commitments. I may have to revise that opinion.”

Yuja Wang. Photo supplied

Wang placed a screenshot of the missive on her offical Instagram account, adding the comment:

“@normanlebrecht this derogatory misogynistic bullying need [sic] to stop. We are human beings who grow with nourishing energy, not characters for you to abuse.”

BBC Controller Sam Jackson has released a curt statement ending that relationship. “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.”

Lebrecht’s most recent Slipped Disc post on Wang, published on 10 February 2026, may...