Youthful pianist shows classical stylings in Beijing
When pianist Zhang Shengliang, 20, was in Beijing recently ahead of the release of his new album, he showed that he has lost none of his old flair. Chen Nan reports.
The Xiamen-born pianist Zhang Shengliang, better known by his stage name Niu Niu, a derivation of his childhood nickname Niuniu, first showed his music talent at the age of 3 by playing a piece from John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course, without anyone teaching him. And he held his first solo recital a few weeks after his sixth birthday, with a program including a Mozart piano sonata and a Chopin etude.
At age 8, he became the youngest student in the 85-year history of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
And, at 10, he performed Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No 1 at the 2007 Pearl Awards in London in the presence of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
When he showed up in Beijing recently to sign a contract with global music label Universal Music Group, Zhang, now 20, showed that he has lost none of his old flair.
In his latest album, which is scheduled to be released in February, he performs repertories including Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor, Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso in E major, and Schubert’s third Impromptu, D 899.
“I’ve played these pieces many times and I want to convey the journey that I’ve gone through over the past 10 years,” says the pianist.
“As I grow into an older person and become a much more mature musician, I have deeper understanding of the pieces.”
The upcoming album was recorded in Berlin and Zhang collaborated with four-time Grammy Award winner, recording engineer Rainer Maillard.
Since 2008, Zhang has released six albums, including a recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 and Paganini’s Variations with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
Over the past 10 years, he has studied with ChineseAmerican music educator Chen Hung-kuan, initially at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and later at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2014, he was admitted to study at the New York-based Juilliard School with a full scholarship, and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in music.
He decided to pursue his studies at the Juilliard School because his mentor Chen was hired as a professor at the school in 2014.
Chen says Niu Niu possesses “an untold passion and aesthetic that belies his tender age”.
The young musician says that his parents never pressed him to practice as a child.
His father, who opened a music school in Xiamen, Fujian province, 25 years ago, let him stay in his classes, which enabled him to become immersed in music from a very young age.
And his mother, who was a banker, quit her job to help him study music.
“I came to the piano bench myself and I believe that I should do something which I am passionate about. My parents don’t want me to copy the life or experience of another pianist so I didn’t participate in piano competitions,” says Zhang.
He also says that his parents prevented him from reading reviews about his performances so that he wouldn’t be influenced by other people’s opinions as a child.
“Piano playing itself is not a pressure for me. On the contrary, it’s a great way to release pressure by playing pieces I like,” the pianist says.
“Piano playing is a very solitary work. Most of the time you have to work alone. But what holds any musician through their career is the original passion and love for music.”
The pianist says that perfecting musicianship is about the time spent on the music. As a child, he spent three to five hours practicing and as an adult, he practices five hours on a daily basis.
Zhang, like many children learning music, had to sacrifice a lot. He recalls that about the age of 8, he felt bored and rebellious. Sensing her son’s rebellion, his mother asked him to make a decision — to continue or quit.
“She told me to make a choice. After a few days of consideration, I decided to continue. I feel grateful that I made the right decision,” he says.
Dave Tam, director of classics & jazz at Universal Music Group China, says: “Though a child prodigy like Niu Niu started from a very high level, he still has the passion for music and is humble about the music he plays.”
Like many young adults, Zhang likes a variety of music styles besides classical music, including songs by American stars Usher, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake as well as pop music from China, South Korea and Japan.
“Any music that touches an individual is good. Any good music conveys certain messages to listeners. That’s what I want to do with classical music. I look forward to doing crossover collaborations in the future,” he says.
Though a child prodigy like Niu Niu started from a very high level, he still has the passion for music and is humble about the music he plays.” Dave Tam, director of classics & jazz at Universal Music Group China