Cover Violinist Ray Chen (Photo: courtesy of Curtis Perry)
Violinist Ray Chen (Photo: courtesy of Curtis Perry)
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The violin superstar opens up on being a classical musician in the 21st century and how prestigious institutions like Curtis should change their education direction
Combining classical and pop performances is not a new concept but it can still come as something of a surprise. Take, for example, classically trained Taiwanese Australian violinist Ray Chen’s guest performance at Taiwanese singer Jay Chou’s Hong Kong concert last May, where his electrifying performance of Vittorio Monti’s rhapsodical concert piece Csárdás (1904) and Chou’s pop songs left the audience in raptures.
Chen is a celebrated classical violinist with an online personality and arts educator. After graduating from top music conservatory Curtis Institute of Music and winning classical music competitions in his early years, including the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009 and International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in 2008, Chen started exploring what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century. He started by publishing comedy musical content on social media in 2014—his YouTube channel now has 528K subscribers while he has close to 940K followers on Instagram. In 2020, he co-founded Tonic, an online violin practice platform that offers free feedback sessions for violin students.
Ahead of his two concerts in Hong Kong this month, Tatler catches up with him on what he brings to his performances, making classical music cool in contemporary times and how he’s switching up the music education scene.
Above Ray Chen performing at a classical music concert (Photo: courtesy of Curtis Perry)
Ray Chen performing at a classical music concert (Photo: courtesy of Curtis Perry)
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How do you feel about performing in Hong Kong again?
Hong Kong has really supportive audiences. Last year in May, I collaborated with Jay Chou and the audience were his fans. But when I played with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the audience were screaming [for me] and I saw the long signing line afterwards. It made me feel like a rock star.
Tell us about the programme for your Hong Kong concert—as well as classical composers like Bach and Beethoven, you have late American jazz musician Chick Corea.
[When you buy a ticket to see a violinist,] you’re expecting to go to a classical concert, but then I also think about my audience’s expectation of me as someone who is always willing to try new things. There are a lot of young audience members in my concerts. When I think about the future and the next generation of musicians, I want to them know that they are allowed to [be experimental, creative and open-minded] in this journey of music.
What are your thoughts on the consumption of classical music these days?
Anything, such as classical music, that is more than 50 years old already has a foundation that leads to a tradition. While you learn that history and tradition, you also think about what you can add to that continuation of knowledge and experiences. I play Beethoven, who’s always going to be around because he represents a large part of this art form of classical music. We respect the art form, but what about the new stuff? What about Chick Corea? I want concert music to be a fun, positive experience that connects people [occupying] the same space. Why else would people brave the traffic after work to attend a concert instead of staying home to enjoy YouTube and Netflix?
What inspired you to blend classical music with comedy?
When I was growing up, classical music was quite stuffy. There’s this elitism that exists. Then there’s the romanticised notion of suffering to achieve greatness. [My musical comedy] was to project a different image, a fun and positive one so that kids can feel, “Wow, classical music is cool.”
Did you experience “suffering” when you were learning to play violin?
No. I did the Suzuki method [a mid-20th-century music curriculum based on the idea that musical ability is not inborn but developed]. I had weekly group lessons. I remember all of us sitting on the floor of my teacher’s house and taking turns to play for each other. It was really fun. Years later, I looked back and felt that’s the spirit and purpose of music—sharing it with people.
Above Ray Chen at a masterclass (Photo: courtesy of Ray Chen)
Ray Chen at a masterclass (Photo: courtesy of Ray Chen)
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What inspired you to set up Tonic music app?
Most of us don’t get to share music with others [onstage]; some don’t go to music schools. Those who are at Curtis or Juilliard are the top one per cent of musicians in the world who already have the environment they need. The app is for the 99 per cent. I want everyone to have that feeling of support.
On Tonic, violin players of all levels can open a virtual life practice room for free and invite others to come in and listen. Maybe they’re there to give you feedback or support, or to tackle a difficult skill together. It’s a great motivation to be seen and heard, to have that one audience member who cheers for you when you finally nail a technique after practising it for the ninth time.
My team and I have also added other app elements, such as games at which participants can earn rewards, such as digital avatars and decorations for your virtual studios, for practising.
Above Ray Chen (Photo: courtesy of John Mac)
Ray Chen (Photo: courtesy of John Mac)
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What changes would you like to see in musical institutions like Curtis, which you attended?
The mental fortitude that I built [from the training there] makes a stronger, better musician, but at the same time, I feel what’s lacking is that connection with the audience. There’s a very firm belief in the academic world that orchestras should prioritise the music instead of the audience, and they would just assume that the audience would always come [whatever is performed].
What’s next?
I’m releasing a new album later this year. It features a variety of different genres, all revolving around film and TV scores. The idea was inspired by [Austrian composer] Eric Korngold, the first composer to create Hollywood music. [I’ll include his] violin concerto; that’s the classical side. Everything else is not classical.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
