They are not just "technically good", but Chinese teenagers born in the 2000s frequently win awards in international music competitions: Breaking Chen Jian Competition | Piano | Competition

On June 17th local time, the third Van Cleben International Junior Piano Competition came to an end in Dallas, Texas, USA. The competition attracted 248 contestants from 44 countries and regions to register. In the end, 14-year-old Wu Yifan from Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School won the runner up, with 15-year-old South Korean Seokyoung Hong and 16-year-old Czech Jan Schulmeister winning the third place.

Wu Yifan in Russia

The reporter found that out of the 23 finalists in this year's Van Cleben International Youth Piano Competition, Chinese players accounted for 15. Among the six finalists, three are from China. In addition to Wu Yifan, there is also one who is Jin Zihan, a second year student at Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated High School. At competitions such as the Tchaikovsky International Youth Music Competition and the Rahmaninov International Youth Piano Competition held this year, Chinese players have also achieved good results and won multiple awards. Why have Chinese players emerged as a rising star in top international youth music competitions? How can we avoid a flash in the pan?

Top Three of the 3rd Van Cleben International Youth Piano Competition

Turn the competition into a performance and play a song called "Birds in the Empty Mountain" for the world to listen to

On the early morning of June 19th Beijing time, before taking the return flight to Shanghai, Wu Yifan and his father Wu Peng gave an exclusive interview to the Jiefang Daily Shangguan News reporter.

"I have been in Dallas for two weeks now, and since the first round of the competition, I have been focused on doing my best." Wu Yifan said, "For me, the meaning of the competition is to constantly accumulate songs and experience."

Wu Yifan's life is not just about the piano, he enjoys playing basketball, cycling, reading, and camping. He was born in Shanghai, and his grandmother, who self-taught piano, often played the piano for him when he was young, which made him fall in love with this "big toy" that can make beautiful sounds. He started learning the piano at the age of 4 and a half and won first place in the national finals of the Steinway National Youth Piano Competition at the age of 9. Seeing his son's early display of talent, the family decided to enroll him in Shangyin Affiliated Primary School.

At present, Wu Yifan is studying in the second year of junior high school at Shangyin Affiliated Middle School and is studying under the vice principal of Shangyin Affiliated Primary School, Zhou Ting. Faced with the good news coming from the United States, Zhou Ting appeared calm and composed. For the past decade or so, he has been flipping day and night, closely monitoring the tense schedule. The master and apprentice have been preparing for this competition for half a year, with a large repertoire and intense competition. However, during the process, Zhou Ting has always been very "Buddhist". He always said to Wu Yifan, "To enjoy the process of competition and preparation, it is more important to share music than winning awards."

Wu Yifan and his teacher Zhou Ting

Although young, Wu Yifan has won numerous domestic and international piano competition championships so far. "He has always learned things very quickly, which comes from both talent and standardized training," Zhou Ting said. In order to fully showcase Wu Yifan's abilities, Zhou Ting selected works of different periods and styles for him. "The repertoire spans a wide range from Baroque music to modern music, with some works having high technical content while others have more profound works."

In March this year, Wu Yifan won the grand prize at the first Rachmaninov International Youth Piano Competition in Russia

The competition requires participants to perform a work by a living composer. Zhou Ting chose Chinese pianist and composer Cui Shiguang's "Bird's Song in the Empty Mountain", which is adapted from Liu Tianhua's erhu of the same name. "This piece simulates various bird calls on the piano and also has a very traditional Chinese music style. In between two large pieces of music, a small and unique piece can also play a regulatory role."

When playing "The Song of Birds in the Empty Mountain", Wu Yifan treated the competition as a performance. "The sound of the piano is very crisp, with rich variations in tone. Many foreigners present, including international judges, have not heard of this Chinese work, giving them a very fresh and excited feeling. I enjoyed playing this work very much."

Wu Yifan on the field

Zhou Ting pointed out that in recent years, the teaching of Shangyin Affiliated Middle School has increasingly focused on Chinese works, and students are required to play Chinese songs in exams and concerts. "We hope that children can showcase the charm of Chinese culture more through music on the international stage, and we also hope that by relying on Chinese culture, they can gain more confidence and confidence."

Piano is not all about having a vast world in one's heart

Since the reform and opening up, generation after generation of Chinese performers have won gold and silver in world-class competitions, gradually breaking the stereotype that Chinese performers have good skills but poor artistic expression. Standing on the world stage, Wu Yifan showcases the confidence and strength of the Chinese post-2000s generation with superb skills and understanding of music.

This year is undoubtedly a fruitful year for Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated High School: at the 11th Tchaikovsky International Youth Music Competition, 13-year-old Qian Zhiyuan and 15-year-old Yang Yutian won the violin and piano group championships; 18-year-old Sun Haolun and 16-year-old Wen Chengyue won second place in the piano group and third place in the cello group. What is the cultivation mechanism behind the outbreak of concentration? Zhou Ting introduced that in recent years, the top talent training mechanism of Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated High School has been innovated, integrating teaching, learning, acting, practice, guidance, and competition to enhance students' international competitiveness. Excellent students from Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School and Primary School can also share the teaching and practical resources of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Before participating, they can not only receive guidance from domestic and foreign masters, but also have the opportunity to perform on stage.

At the beginning of the year, at the 11th Tchaikovsky International Youth Music Competition held in Russia, four young students from Shanghai Conservatory of Music won important awards

Zhou Ting often suggests that students enjoy high-level concerts, plays, or art exhibitions, and not only listen to piano music, but also extensively explore symphony, chamber music, and opera. "Art is interconnected, influenced by various artistic cultures, possessing a solid cultural heritage can make their minds more sensitive and have a broader imagination. Only then can the path of art become wider and wider, and more things be conveyed to the audience."

Wu Yifan said, "Classical music has become a treasure of our generation with its unique charm, waiting for us to explore. It involves human history, emotions, and art, which are shared by people all over the world. Although we speak different languages, we are all moved by the same music. It helps us unite and inspires us to pursue peace and love."

Accompanying Wu Yifan in the competition from Russia to the United States, his father Wu Peng had a direct feeling: the new generation of Chinese youth not only have good skills, but also have the same understanding and expression of music as any other country's athletes. Although classical music is imported, the younger generation in China has received a good education since childhood, possessing an open perspective and the ability to integrate. "They are changing the perspective of overseas judges and refreshing the world's understanding of China."

Zhou Ting believes that "personality" is very important for an artist. "So many classic pieces that have been passed down to this day have been performed by countless people. While respecting the score and the composer's intention, I hope students can join in their understanding of the work and create it again. Integrating their personality into performance is the value of a performer. In the process of inheriting culture, we also need to have an innovative spirit so that artistic works can have sustained vitality."

Asian athletes rising, award-winning athletes getting younger and younger

In recent years, it has become an undeniable fact that Asian athletes have swept the top international music competitions. Faced with such a situation, Jacques Marquis, Director and CEO of the Van Cleben International Piano Competition, responded, "This has long been a hot topic in the classical music industry. In Asia, people believe that classical music is a good training for children, and there are many children who have learned instruments such as violin and piano since childhood. Moreover, Asian children are generally very engaged, disciplined, and have solid basic skills. All these factors combined have led to today's phenomenon."

Among the 6 finalists of the 3rd Van Cleben International Youth Piano Competition, there are 3 Chinese players

Over the past decade, Jacques Marquis has also discovered another trend - that the age of winners in top music competitions where adult players participate is getting younger and younger. Taking the Van Cleben International Piano Competition as an example. In 2009, 19-year-old Chinese player Zhang Haochen won the championship of the Van Cleben International Piano Competition; In 2022, 18-year-old South Korean athlete Lin Yuncan became the youngest champion of the competition.

Half a century after the establishment of the Van Cleben International Piano Competition, in 2015, the Van Cleben International Youth Piano Competition, also known as "Little Cleben," was established, with participants aged 13 to 17. "I think if they could perform so well at the ages of 18 and 19, then 15 should also be great," said Jacques Marquis.

Wu Peng found that in recent years, there have been more and more global youth music competitions, and in the age group of 13-17, Asian teenagers have strong competitiveness. On the one hand, Asian children generally learn the piano earlier, work harder, and have more solid basic skills. Moreover, during adolescence, children gradually develop their own thoughts, but they are still inexperienced and can immerse themselves in music without distractions, making it easy for them to achieve good results.

In Jacques Marquis's view, the purpose of adult and youth competitions is not the same. The adult competition aims to discover the most promising newcomers, with a focus on nurturing them and helping them embark on their career path. For youth competitions, we cannot promote growth by pulling out seedlings, but rather provide children with an opportunity for learning and communication through the competition, allowing these young people to learn from themselves, from peers, and from masters, and continuously grow.

In Zhou Ting's view, winning the competition is just the beginning. "Art knows no bounds, and their future path is still long. I hope they can bravely climb the artistic peak and step onto the world stage."

At the end of the interview, Wu Yifan was about to board his plane back to China. When asked about his plans in the future, the reporter replied in four words: "Practice the piano well.".

Chinese performers born in the 1990s lead world-renowned bands: Music is a lifelong "marathon"

When a group of "post-2000s" Chinese teenagers emerged through international competitions, a slightly older group of "post-90s" Chinese musicians had accelerated their pace and become the world renowned band's chief performers.

On June 30th, trumpet player Guo Xiang is about to hold a solo concert at the Shanghai Grand Theatre "One Person's Classics". This young man born in 1994 has become the youngest lifelong trumpet chief in the history of the Finnish Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, he became the first Chinese person to win an award in a top international trumpet competition, filling the award gap for Chinese people in the field of trumpet performance. Three years later, he became the first doctoral student in the field of trumpet at the University of Music and Drama in Munich, Germany.

Mediyan, a viola player born in the same year as Guo Xiang, officially became the principal viola of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra last year, becoming the first Chinese principal in the 140 year history of this world-class symphony orchestra. And Mediyan's younger brother at the Central Conservatory of Music, the horn player Zeng Yun, born in 1999, also became the horn chief of the Berlin National Opera Orchestra. Three Chinese musicians born in the 1990s have previously won major awards in international competitions.

When Mediyan became the chief of Berlin Philharmonic, conductor Yu Long once described it as "no less than China producing a world-class football star and joining top clubs." In his view, Chinese performers need to not only hone their performance skills to world-class level, but also become a "complete performer" with independent personality and showcase their true selves in music to stand at the pinnacle of the world symphony stage.

Berlin Philharmonic Violin Chief Mediyan

Interestingly, the popularity of the Medyan has also made the viola, a rare instrument, popular in China. For a long time, the viola has had no connection with the halo of the protagonist. In symphony orchestras, it is willing to dedicate itself and is willing to accompany, with very few opportunities to play the main melody. In the music market, viola concerts are almost seen as box office poison. But now, it's hard to get a vote for Medyan's solo concert.

The achievements of Chinese performers have long been well-known, but for a long time, brass instruments have been regarded as a "weakness", and the brass parts of many domestic bands have been occupied by "foreign aid" for a long time. The emergence of a new generation of brass instrument performers such as Zeng Yun and Guo Xiang has become a powerful pursuit.

Even though Guo Xiang has been appointed as the lifelong trumpet chief of the Finnish Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, as if holding an "iron rice bowl", he still insists on practicing for four hours every day, not daring to slack off. Guo Xiang described the trumpet as like gymnastics, with strong technical skills and high danger. "Gymnasts are prone to injury and mistakes, even excellent athletes may lose a game due to a small mistake. Therefore, it is necessary to practice continuously every day to ensure physical and mental health."

Guo Xiang, Lifetime Trumpet Chief of the Finnish Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra

The road to becoming a musician is like a long journey. After years of playing on the international stage, cellist Wang Jian returned to his alma mater and became a professor and doctoral supervisor in the Orchestra Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. This former genius from Shangyin Affiliated Primary School is 55 years old and still practicing the piano every day.

Since ancient times, heroes have emerged as teenagers, and this statement is particularly applicable in the field of classical music. But many once high-profile geniuses later died young. Wang Jian told cellist Wang Jian that he was teaching students

On the contrary, many music masters did not perform well when they were young, only to emerge after the age of 30, and gradually reach their peak in their forties and fifties. "Many so-called 'prodigies' climbed a peak when they were young, but later stopped moving forward. However, many masters have been making progress."

For young people who have won international competitions, this is just the beginning. Music is a marathon that one must run for a lifetime, constantly moving forward and growing oneself in order to reach further places.