Music in Words

Japanese YouTuber-scientist-composer-pianist Hayato Sumino is a rising musical sensation traversing the classical and digital inspirations. He shared his unique musical journey and inspirations with Prof. Daniel Chua during the HKU student-exclusive 'Music In Words' dialogue. Hayato showcased his improvisational skills on the spot with a theme by the audience, and answered intriguing quick-fire questions from Prof. Chua.

An accompanying playlist featuring the music discussed is available on Spotify.

Two decades ago, the esteemed pianist Paul Lewis embarked on a musical journey of Schubert's complete piano sonatas. Now after an illustrious career spanning twenty years, he revisits this mellifluous cycle in a new light. In the 2022/23 Rayson Huang Lecture, Lewis discussed with Prof. Daniel Chua his new reading of Schubert's sonatas in relation to the composer's life experience and philosophy as a wanderer instead of a struggler.

An accompanying playlist featuring the music discussed is available on Spotify.

Distinguished Israeli cellist Gavriel Lipkind, with a lineage from Pablo Casals, has a conversation with Prof. Daniel Chua, head of HKU Music Department. Lipkind shared his insights on interpreting, performing, and recording Bach's Cello Suites, as well as his intriguing experiences as Rostropovich's student and as a contester preparing for the Leonard Rose competition.

An accompanying playlist featuring the music discussed is available on Spotify.

Winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition, Bruce Liu has become a real sensation of the pianistic world and has been on an extensive tour across the world’s most prestigious stages. The recording of his title-winning performance was praised by Gramophone as "one of the most distinguished Chopin recitals of recent years, full of maturity, character and purpose." We are thrilled to welcome Bruce to this new episode of 'Music in Words'. In conversation with Prof. Daniel Chua, Bruce talks about his artistic inspirations, interests in jazz and karting, thoughts on his overnight success and how technology influences the evolution of artistic approaches. Click to listen and find out more!

An accompanying playlist featuring the music discussed is available on Spotify.

Widely recognized as one of today’s finest interpreters of Franz Schubert, celebrated tenor Ian Bostridge talks about Schubert’s song cycles, Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, and his own journey as a scholar-turned-vocalist. To accompany this episode, tune in to the recordings of these song cycles in the Spotify playlist. 

"Hope you love the endless, abstract, and powerful message of this work..." Recorded during his visit in 2015 at HKU, pianist Konstantin Lifschitz discussed with Prof. Daniel Chua the art of playing J.S. Bach's The Art of Fugue. An accompanying playlist featuring Mr. Lifschitz's own recording of the masterpiece is also available on Spotify.

Bach's 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' has laid the backbone of classical chromaticism, revealing the full-colour spectrum of all the 24 keys. Highly acclaimed as a Bach interpreter, pianist Angela Hewitt discusses the work's architecture, musicality, and spiritual elements, and shares with us what this music means to her.

Pianist Paul Lewis shares with us how he makes use of the lockdown to revisit old repertoire and discover new works, his experience with live streaming, and his reflection on the meaning of live concerts. A heralded interpreter of Beethoven and Schubert, Paul also tells us how he finds their works deeply consoling at this time.

Krzysztof Chorzelski of the Belcea Quartet shares how the ensemble copes with the unprecedented challenges and what the Beethoven Cycle means to them, and reflects fondly on their time with their mentors, the great Alban Berg and Amadeus Quartets.

Maestro Jaap van Zweden shares his leadership philosophy, his interpretation of Beethoven symphonies, his work with the Papageno Foundation, as well as the inspiration from other great conductors, including an episode on picking up the baton for the first time under Bernstein’s encouragement.