Jane Lenz 12/30/21 Jane Lenz 12/30/21

Blogcritics: Interview: Wray Armstrong and Evita Zhang of Armstrong Music & Arts on Bridging the China-West Cultural Divide

Cultural exchange has long served as a counterweight to international tensions. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how nations are prone to cooperate poorly, purveyors of the arts persist in working to increase understanding and collaboration. Armstrong Music & Arts builds cultural bridges between China and the West through touring and management for artists and organizations in the West and in China, and by discovering and nurturing talented Chinese artists.

Blogcritics
By Jon Sobel

Cultural exchange has long served as a counterweight to international tensions. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how nations are prone to cooperate poorly, purveyors of the arts persist in working to increase understanding and collaboration. Armstrong Music & Arts builds cultural bridges between China and the West through touring and management for artists and organizations in the West and in China, and by discovering and nurturing talented Chinese artists.

Pianist Magazine: Tianxu An’s time is here: The pianist talks about his quest for success

Tianxu An’s time is here: The pianist talks about his quest for success

In 2019, Tianxu An fell victim to a terrible error in the final of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. With the pianist expecting to play one piece, the accompanying orchestra started playing a completely different piece. Two years on, he's back and ready to aim for the stars.

Pianist Magazine
By Ellie Palmer

Tianxu An’s time is here: The pianist talks about his quest for success

Can you tell us a little bit about your musical background and what led you to pursue a career as a solo pianist?

I come from a non-musical family. My parents initially thought that playing piano would be a good way to help us kids develop our intelligence so they enrolled us in lessons. Since I had no musical knowledge at that time, my attitude was neutral. Thanks to my studies at the elementary and the middle school affiliated to Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, I began to love music and became more interested in playing the piano.

I am currently studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, which gives me a closer connection with the western culture and environment. My experiences have showed me how music is a powerful language which establishes the deeply emotional bond among people that surpasses the limits of verbal language on its own. Because people’s lives nowadays are more occupied by electronic devices, the emotional bond mentioned above is rarer and thus more valuable. I want to use the piano as a tool to reconstruct that intimate connection with people, which is why I have continued pursuing this career.

While many musicians were still in quarantine, your new China-based manager Armstrong Music & Arts/Poly Armstrong organised a 19-city recital tour. Can you tell us about your recital programme and experience returning to performing for live audiences?

I prepared two programmes with some overlapping pieces. The repertoire includes Beethoven Op 110, Brahms Sonata Op 1 and Prokofiev Sonata No 6. Other works include selections from Rachmaninov's and Debussy’s preludes. I have been so lucky to have consistent performance engagements throughout this difficult time and I treasure each opportunity to play onstage. I give each of my performances my all and feel so grateful for the enthusiasm I’ve received from audiences.