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Think Iāve kind of learned that the more authentic and genuine it is, the better it will work for you.

Collection | Blog Posts About Classical Music
Iād love to keep track of all the classical pieces and composers Iāve written aboutāwhether from concert reflections or deep-dive listening sessions that make me curious about a pieceās background. Music taste is hard to align, but I hope this list offers a practical glimpse into mine. Maybe youāll find some insightāor even a new favorite piece. I usually prioritize academic posts over musical ones, but when things get hectic, I turn to music....

Emmanuel Pahud in Guangzhou | III. Concert Notes
Flute shines brightest in chamber music ā not that the ethereal flute solo in Carmen Intermezzo isnāt already fantastic ā but orchestral solos are still somewhat constrained, where the flute serves as one beautiful component within a larger structure. Chamber music, on the other hand, gives the instrument the full freedom to express, flex, dance. And Pahud elevates the entire performance with his charisma, precision, and deep musical understanding. If you ever get the chance, donāt miss him live....
Emmanuel Pahud in Guangzhou | II. Masterclass!
The concert hall hosted a public workshop featuring the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet. I hadnāt realized they were inviting students and young musicians from local conservatories to perform live. What a rare and generous and scary opportunity to play for world-class artists. And who would pass up a free masterclass? Especially one led by musicians who live and breathe chamber music. The joy of deep musical conversation was more than enough to offset the⦠shall we say, colorful distractions of the eventās host ā whose long-winded, self-important commentary made many of us long for the mute button....

Emmanuel Pahud in Guangzhou | I. Preview: Before the Concert
Emmanuel Pahud, in my eyes, is the greatest flutist in the world. Heās the principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic ā a position that speaks volumes ā and this summer, heās on tour in China. Two concerts and one workshop. Iām attending all three. As a flutist, I canāt help but reflect a little on his influence on me. I started listening to Pahudās recordings back in high school, during the pandemic....
Shostakovich music becomes public domain
My Shostakovich-fan friend got really excited recently cause, the composer is about to enter public domain ā 50 years after he passed away (August 9 1975). He was like āall his scores are going public, and I canāt wait to see the original manuscript of his Waltz No. 2ā. Huh? Well not exactly. Cause first, in most countries, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of the author. Second, most jurisdictions apply public domain changes on January 1st of the year following the 70th anniversary of the death....
Why 'Sing Ktv in villa' becomes the most popular BGM
Recently I noticed a weirdly popular TikTok trend: Itās gone viral internationally The original choreography is by äøé½čå¢: Watch on YouTube, based on a Chinese-Cantonese rap song: Its rise to fame isnāt just algorithmic luck. The song taps into the mindset of a generation of young people in China today ā caught in between. Theyāre not fully grounded in traditional culture, yet feel unable to move upward either. Thereās a great article that explores this cultural moment:...
Tatiana Variation's Music is Adjusted from One of Tchaikovsky Piano Lovely Small Piece
Tchaikovsky wrote music for Eugene Onegin opera. But the Onegin balletās music is adapted from various other Tchaikovsky pieces (Breakdown of Eugene Oneginās Different Versions) One of the balletās highlight, the Tatiana solo in Act II. It is melodic, expressive, and perhaps the most heartbreakingly vulnerable part of the whole story. When Tatiana fall in love with Onegin, at Tatianaās birthday Onegin danced and flirt with Tatianaās sister and leaves Tatiana hurt in the crowd:...
Updates for Classical Music Posts Collection
This archive Blog Posts About Classical Music Collection started as a way just to keep track of blogs ā but it has slowly become a personal map of musical obsessions and opinions. It kinda traces how Iāve moved through time in my life. Technically, I should have relied on tags instead of manually collecting every post, but revisiting my sixāmonth music library while copyāandāpasting turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. Seems like, Iāve been obsessed with Tchaikovsky and Chopin lately, and that passion naturally spilled over into other Romantic-era composersāhence the flood of piano and ballet works....
Where Beethoven Still Sells Out
My hometown has a genuinely strong orchestra ā the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. It doesnāt have an all-star woodwind section like the Berliner Philharmonic, but having played in its affiliated Youth Orchestra during high school, I know the musicians are well-trained professionals. Plus, our artistic directors and conductor are not only well-connected but are themselves part of the core of Chinaās elite classical music scene. Oh, and fun fact: Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra often donāt give encores....