Paloma So’s Harvard Journey

Where Two Musical Worlds Meet

In this in-depth pre-concert interview conducted at the backstage of Laeiszhalle on June 19th, cellist and conductor Professor Clemens Malich of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg reflects on a landmark evening that brings together Western and Chinese musical traditions on a single stage. The concert features baritone Liao Changyong and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Chamber Orchestra joined by German musicians in a programme of Huang Zi, Bao Yuankai, Chen Gang, Lu Zaiyi as well as Brahms, Mahler and Ravel, etc. Malich, who also leads the acclaimed Young Classics education program, speaks thoughtfully about why cross-cultural musical exchange matters beyond the concert hall, arguing that deeper mutual understanding between peoples may itself be a path toward resolving conflict. For him, this concert is a homecoming: he traces a long Western fascination with East Asian culture through Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde and early 20th-century French music, drawing a direct line to the program’s pairing of Chinese art songs with works by Mahler and Ravel. He also offers an insider’s perspective on the decision to accompany the lieder and art songs with chamber orchestra rather than piano, a choice he sees as both historically grounded and emotionally essential, and pays warm tribute to star baritone Liao Changyong, whose command of German, French, and Chinese repertoire he describes as the mark of a true international artist. The conversation ends with a charming personal note: Malich lives near Mahler’s old Hamburg address and arrived at the Laeiszhalle by bicycl, just as the great composer once did. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com [https://klassikom.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

"I Think I'll Play More Chinese Music"

Hamburg-based violinist Cian Neumann studies under private teacher Michael Holm and is currently completing a social year at a primary school. But on June 19, he steps into a very different kind of classroom: sharing the stage with elite Chinese instrumentalists for a program spanning Mahler, Vivaldi, and contemporary Chinese works. In this pre-concert conversation at Laeiszhalle, Cian speaks with genuine admiration about his Chinese colleagues, singling out the concertmaster’s jaw-dropping technique and echoing his conductor’s reaction to a stunning performance of Vivaldi’s Summer. He also weighs in on star baritone Liao Changyong’s German diction, calling it “really fantastic”, high praise from a native speaker. Having had only passing exposure to Chinese music before, Cian emerges from rehearsals converted, and already planning to bring more of it into his repertoire. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com [https://klassikom.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

"Chinese Music Is Really Enriching"

Ljubica Bićanin, a 22-year-old viola student at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, joins Chinese soloists for a remarkable concert featuring works by Brahms, Mahler, and Ravel — alongside Chinese repertoire she’s performing for the very first time. In this brief pre-concert interview on June 19th in Hamburg, Ljubica shares her delight at collaborating with Chinese musicians, praising the warmth and energy of the orchestra. She also reflects on the experience of playing Chinese music beyond the screen: beautiful in a way she hadn’t expected. And as a German speaker herself, she has a front-row seat to assess the remarkable linguistic range of star baritone Liao Changyong — who performed in German, French, and Chinese in a single evening. The conversation ends with a shared love of Dvořák — a small moment that says everything about music’s ability to bring people together across cultures. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com [https://klassikom.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Liao Changyong Dazzles with Mahler in Hamburg

In a memorable evening at Hamburg, renowned baritone Prof Liao Changyong delivered a spellbinding performance of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen alongside Chinese classics, presented in a specially arranged chamber music setting. The concert, a testament to the long-standing artistic partnership between the music schools in Hamburg and Shanghai as well as the 40th anniversary of the twin-city, left audiences and musicians alike deeply moved at Laeiszhalle on June 19th. The SCM Chamber Music Orchestra is conducted by Clemens Malich. Prof Elmar Lampson, Professor in Composition Department of HfMT (Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg) also the ex-president of HfMT attended the concert. Speaking of Liao, he was full of praise: “You understand every German word — his pronunciation and his style is amazing.” He was equally struck by the evening’s programme, which wove Chinese music alongside Mahler and Ravel: “Isn’t it amazing how this Chinese music fits so well with Mahler, with Ravel and with the Romantic music — we are one musical family between China and Europe.” Reflecting on the collaboration between the two institutions, Lampson concluded: “This concert is something very special and something really great.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com [https://klassikom.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Shaonan "Trigger" Su Performs at JZ Club

Keyboardist and song writer Shaonan “Trigger" Su performs music from his latest album at JZ Club in Shanghai with two award-winning guitarists and band members flown in straight from the United States. He offered a rendition of jazz standard All of Me as the encore. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com [https://klassikom.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]