Chinas classical music scene catching up with Korea

By Lee Hyo-won

China has seen the rise of classical music’s biggest superstars like Lang Lang, and a seasoned cellist says that the arts scene there is trying to catch up with Korea.

“The level of music-making in Korea is very high, and the younger generation of cellists is among the best in the world... Classical music in China is about one or two generations behind Korea,” Jian Wang said in a recent interview in Seoul.

One of the first classical musicians to emerge from post-Culture Revolution China, the internationally acclaimed musician frequently visits Korea. He was in town this time for the Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, which came to a close Sunday.

“Korea has been successful because there is a market here, and soon it is really going to become a super power for classical music.”

The 43-year-old joked how “23 percent” of the students at almost any given Western music school were Kims, the most common Korean surname. He noted that these students have returned to Korea as teachers and performers, raising the level of classical music-making here.

Though a remarkable number of Chinese musicians are making waves on the world stage, Wang said young artists have less incentive to return home.

“Music schools in China often lack really good teachers and there is little demand for local orchestras. And so a lot of musicians go abroad to study and stay out there to find jobs. The market for classical music is very limited,” he said. “We need to first attract more talented teachers and then build a market to allow young musicians to pursue their art.”

Things are certainly improving, however, with the construction of state-of-the-art concert halls.

“These really fantastic halls are being built everywhere. We have about 15 new grand theaters in China and they say in the next 20 years there will be 200 around the country.”

The Shanghai native says the budding music scene provides for some of the most unique creative activities such as giving the local premieres of standard cello music.

Moreover, because Chinese audiences are “very raw” and unafraid to boo artists off of the stage, he can relish a deeper level of satisfaction of having won hard-earned approval when he succeeds in moving them.

“It’s impossible to get the Chinese to be quiet and they are often noisy during performances. They want entertainment and sometimes don’t really consider music to be a serious thing... Sometimes they even stop clapping before an artist gets off the stage if they are not completely impressed.

“But one time I played all the Bach suites at the National Theatre (in Beijing). Contrary to expectations of the concert organizers it was completely silent; you could hear them breathing with me, and it was one of the most memorable performances. It was all the more rewarding because I achieved a level of communication that is very difficult to reach in China.”

It’s not surprising, given that the cellist has a flair for captivating crowds. He gave a breathtaking rendition of Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Saturday at Sejong Chamber Hall, Gwanghwamun, opposite pianist Tony Han (Han Tong-il) and violinist Kang Dong-suk. It was a chamber performance to remember, one that articulated a pure, electrifying Romanticism through a dynamic yet harmonious interplay.

Wang plans to return to Korea to attend the Great Mountains International Music Festival & School in Gangwon Province, which will take place from July 26 to Aug. 8. Visit www.gmmfs.com for more information.