On February 28 and March 1, from the National Centre for the Performing Arts to the Beijing Performing Arts Centre, from Mozart to Philip Glass, the acclaimed young pianist Ju Xiaofu collaborated for the first time with the NCPA Orchestra under the baton of conductor Lü Jia, performing two piano concertos.

Unlike many musicians who rise to prominence through competitions or major awards, Ju Xiaofu's journey to center stage has been a steady and gradual one, much like the character of his playing. On February 28, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 was the first to be performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Under Ju Xiaofu's fingertips, the introspective and tranquil melodies of Mozart's final piano concerto, written at the twilight of his life, flowed with a quiet depth, creating a profound and reflective space in dialogue with the orchestra. On March 1, Glass's Piano Concerto No. 3 was presented at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre, where its mesmerizing sonic layers—reminiscent of a multiverse coexisting in harmony—conveyed the composer's relentless pursuit of structural essence, adding a brilliant highlight to the concert's theme: "Great Truths Are Always Simple."

Composed nearly 200 years apart, the two works stand in intriguing contrast—Mozart's concerto is "simple, light, and intimate," yet its persistent minor-key melancholy subtly lingers, marking it as the last piano concerto he wrote before his passing. Glass's work, on the other hand, is what Ju Xiaofu describes as "an echo of minimalism." Reflecting on the deeper connection between the two pieces, he muses, "I often wonder—could the infinite beauty and repetitive tranquility in Glass's music mirror the liberation that Mozart once envisioned? At the very least, we are offering him a contemporary response in spirit."

Ju Xiaofu's precision and sensitivity extend beyond music to language itself. Words are a cherished companion in his life, though he never forces inspiration to come—he waits for it to find him. His poetic voice has already been captured in two published collections, On the Road to Seeking the Remains of Spring and Late Sounds.

To Ju Xiaofu, both playing the piano and writing poetry require "breaking the rules." At this point in the conversation, a flicker of hidden audacity emerges beneath his gentle demeanor: "Rules, more often than not, are meant to be broken. In performing music, the most fundamental and purest thing is to express what one truly wishes to say. We must infuse our own artistic interpretation into a composer's work. Poetry, too, challenges many traditional linguistic frameworks. Neither should ever be bound entirely by any existing structure."

Translator: FENG Haoxuan

Reviewer: BAI Jing