KLASSIKOM=Innovations in classical music

On the evening of July 8th, the Emperor and Empress of Japan attended a dinner hosted by the President and First Lady of Mongolia at the hotel where they were staying. At this dinner, His Majesty the Emperor played the viola on stage and performed with the Mongolian National Morin Khuur Symphony Orchestra, deepening international friendship through music. The full videos of the two pieces of music...

Bayreuth in Shanghai, a three-year residency programme to introduce stagings of Bayreuth Festival to Shanghai Grand Theatre, concluded last evening with Tristan und Isolde in a 2022 Festival production. The performance on Sunday afternoon was conducted by Xu Zhong, Director of the Shanghai Opera House which co-presented the residency. Lise Lindstrom, who has made her role debut in this production,...

JZ Club, one of Shanghai’s leading privately owned jazz venues, hosted a lively dance night last Thursday. Led by Alec, the bandleader of the JZ Big Band, and featuring Rong Chenchu on xylophone, the band performed swing-era standards for a crowd of enthusiastic dancers—mostly young people. The evening began with a short dance lesson, where two instructors guided participants through both slow and...

Since winning the prestigious Marguerite Long Music Competition in France, Shanghai-based pianist Song Siheng has forged a distinctive path as a concert artist. On one hand, he is a frequent guest with major orchestras, performing the grand concertos of the repertoire. On the other, he is a pioneer of multimedia recitals, where the use of LED screens to enhance the listening and viewing experience...

Under the baton of violinist and bandleader Chen Hongda, Senza New Strings performed last night at Dashijie in Shanghai, presenting a programme of fusion jazz inspired by Latin America. Founded by Chen with the aim of broadening and expanding the string repertoire, the ensemble has evolved from classical crossover roots into a unique voice. Chen has led the group in performing signature pieces ada...

The BBC Music Awards winning Sitkovetsky Trio concluded its fornight long China tour Tuesday night with a concert in Shanghai at the SHOAC in a programme of Beethoven, Shostakovich and, in the second half, Mendelssohn. They offered an arrangement of the Butterfly Lovers violin concerto as encore. The audience immediately erupted with emotion. The tour was managed by a charitable music fund based i...

Wake Up, an electronic music theatre created by Yuson Shao , a student about to finish his undergraduate study of composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, was staged this afternoon along with other works at the recital hall of the Conservatory. It loosely followed the storyline of a student being abruptly woken by a teacher’s call to finish homework in the middle of a dream. Still dazed...

Renowned guanzi virtuoso and professor Han Lei recently brought the soulful sounds of this ancient Chinese double-reed instrument to Hong Kong City Hall , captivating audiences with a powerful blend of tradition and innovation. Presented in collaboration with the Hong Kong Cantonese Music Ensemble, the recital— “Lion Rock Alumni” —was the culmination of a shared dream to introduce the guanzi to a...

Chinese piano legend Yin Chengzong talked about his impact on Lang Lang in the United States. He said that he gave him everything at that time, and offered thousands of lessons to Lang Lang for free. He even invited Lang Lang to stay at his place in New York, and arranged for Lang Lang to study at Cleveland. In the first half of the video, Yin showed pictures and newspaper clips. One of the newspa...

Winner of the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russian pianist Dmitry Masleev gave a recital at the Shanghai Grand Theatre performing music by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Shanghai Grand TheatreJune 10, 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com

Ju Wenpei —an award-winning actress known for her roles in major blockbusters, and a composer behind scores for hit films—sat down with us for an exclusive interview in Shanghai. Filmed on April 28, the conversation captures the pivotal moments that shaped her life: from winning her first pageantry as a music student at college, to landing her debut audition and acting contract, to the unexpected...

Chinese pianist and composer Yin Chengzong met with Rudolph Tang at his home in Kulangsu, Amoy and greeted him for an exclusive interview. In the first episode of the talk, Yin offered water, complained about media censorship and the lack of visilibity of his concerts, and dived in the untold past in China when piano was meant to be smashed. This is a Chinese programme with heavy Hakka accent. Chi...

Rossini’s beloved opera The Barber of Seville was brought to life at the Kah Kee Theatre in Xiamen (Amoy) by the Zheng Xiaoying Opera Centre, in a production directed by renowned bass-baritone Sun Li. At 96 years old, Zheng Xiaoying—a pioneering figure in advocating opera in Chinese—led the Fuzhou Straits Symphony Orchestra from a stool in the orchestra pit, demonstrating undiminished passion and...

On June 7th, 2025, Yin Chengzong —arguably China’s most towering pianist—marked 75 years on stage with a landmark recital at the Kulangsu (Gulangyu) Concert Hall. The 700-seat venue was filled to capacity with an eager audience, all fortunate enough to witness the performance of a living legend. Tickets were offered free of charge and were snapped up within minutes of becoming available. The conce...

British pianist and educator James Brawn has never been one to stay still. A concert pianist and recording artist with a truly international career, he relocated to China in 2016 and made Shanghai his home—a move he describes as “life-changing.” Now based in the city, Brawn balances teaching at a private music training institution with an active performing and recording schedule. His critically ac...

Polish pianist and educator Peter (Piotr) Tomasz currently lives and works in Shanghai, where he teaches at a private music academy and occasionally performs at major venues across the city. On March 22nd, he appeared in recital alongside fellow pianist James Brawn at the Chamber Hall of the Shanghai Symphony Hall, performing a selection of his signature Chopin repertoire. The concert also marked...

Jazz saxophonist and clarinettist Huang Ye and his band performed Li Bo Suite on June 2nd at JALCSH. Inspired by the poetry of Li Bo—arguably the greatest poet of the Tang dynasty—Huang Ye composed this jazz-pop fusion work as a tribute to the iconic literary figure. The performance featured guest artists from the ensemble Senza Strings, led by jazz violinist and fiddler Chen Hongda. Following the...

Mexican tenor and seasoned anchor Rolando Villazón made his long overdue China debut last night at the Shanghai Grand Theatre by singing Spanish and Portugese art songs as well as folk songs from his album Serenata Latina. He was accompanied from harp by French harpist Xavier de Maistre. He generouslly offered three encores after the programme, and introduced unfamiliar Latin American composers to...

Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble made its first and historic visit to China from Northern Ireland by giving a performance at the Beijing Modern Music Festival. Here's a glimpse into the groundbreaking concert and acknowledgememt made by its artistic director at the end of the concert. Recorded in Beijing on May 19, 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

This video marks the second conversation in a series with Dr Wu Dielan, exploring how to listen to contemporary music—and what audiences can expect from living composers—following twelve intense days immersed in modern music performances in Beijing this May. The discussions were recorded after two major events hosted by the Central Conservatory of Music and the China Conservatory of Music. Dr Wu,...

The first series of conversations with Dr Wu Dielan on what to listen for in contemporary music after a dozen days intense listening to modern music in Beijing in May at two events hosted by two major conservatories: the Central Conservatory of Music and the China Conservatory of Music. Dr Wu is a concert pianist currently conducting her post doctoral research at the Central Conservatory of Music....

As Chair of the Chinese Musicians Association, composer and professor Ye Xiaogang talked about the achievements made by generations of Chinese composers since the first Exchange of Chinese Composers was launched in 1985. He made the remarks at the opening keynote of the 2025 edition hosted by the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Music by seven composers featured in the video were filmed at...

Exchange of Chinese Composers concluded on May 25th with a gala performed by the China National Ballet Orchestra under the baton of Zhang Chengjie at the China Conservatory of Music. Eight pieces by eight composers were performed alongside with an award ceremony for young composers and musicologists. Founded in 1985, the programme, dedicated to fostering young composers, has been hosted by major c...

Two prominent composers have called for the establishment of a permanent contemporary music ensemble in China. Their appeal came during Exhange of Chinese Composers (ECC), the ongoing national campaign and symposium for young composers to present their works and learn funding preferences. The event is hosted by the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. The previous ECC was hosted by the Sichuan...

Composer Ye Xiaogang gave a 90-minute lecture titled "A Breakthrough Is Urgently Needed in Music Composition" this morning at the China Conservatory of Music. It's the opening keynote speech at a national symposium for young composers. In the lecture, he offered profound words of encouragement to young and mid-career composers, while also pointing out the prevailing issues of "ivory tower" mentali...