Musical fusion

"One of the most important lessons Ligeti taught me was: You are from a different culture, but you should not be one of the masses of avant-garde artists in the West. You are unique, and you should find your own language."

However, it took many years for Chen to finally understand what Ligeti really meant.

Chen's first breakthrough came in 1987 when his String Quartet No 1, a chamber piece highlighting Chinese musical elements, was publicly performed in Europe. It's also the first piece Chen completed in Germany.

"They paid attention to me as a young composer because of the new musical culture I brought there," he says. "I didn't know Europe very well. All that I did was to express my own culture in the new musical language I had learnt there."

Soon afterwards, he was commissioned by Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra and as further invitations began to flood in, Chen began to think deeply about his musical direction.

"I began to wonder, is this really the music that I want to make?" he says. "Will regional music really be international or will it only be a novelty? People are interested in us, but if we continue doing it, is this the right attitude toward art, or is it just for fame and novelty?"

As Chen settled in Germany and tried to understand the country's culture, he also strived to find the roots of European music.

"I want to find a more unique music language, one that is both Chinese and relatable to all humans," he says. "Western audiences can understand it, but at the same time, they recognize it as music from outside Europe, from East Asia."

Chen's second major breakthrough came in 1996, when he held a portrait concert at the Hamburg State Opera. He had finally discovered a music language that he found "limitless".

"I found a music language that is rooted in China but can reach over to an international audience," he says. "The spirit of the era, after all, is not limited by national borders or times. When it comes to cultural matters, you can't tell if one is better than the other; you can only tell the difference. My concern is to find a new way to combine different cultures in my music."

Chen attributes the evolution of his art to the influence of both German and Chinese culture.

"When two cultures come together, there could be rejections; there could also be questions about why you think this way and trying to understand the history and reason behind it. And the Germans will do that. They are very good at thinking. I really respect them for that," he says.

"Maybe I'm no longer a typical Chinese person, but I'm still rooted in Chinese culture. Both cultures can be traced in my music."

Reflecting upon the possible directions of music education in China, Chen suggests more emphasis should be placed on the cultural background of the music.

"In terms of musical technique, China's music education is quite successful," he says. "We are good at systemizing to reach a certain goal. But music is part of culture. We have plenty of musicians who are flawless in skills but they can't play the music right.

"We should do it more from a cultural angle and teach more about what the music means. If you don't have a proper understanding of the culture and history behind the music, you will never understand the music.