Ep. 7: Dr Shzr Ee Tan

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* In this episode, I am talking about the influence of classical music in China with Dr Shzr Ee Tan, Senior Lecturer and an ethnomusicologist at Royal Holloway, University of London. China is a country, which has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the classical music industry in many ways, and very much continues to impact the classical sector. I am British-born Chinese myself, and this interview was recorded a few days after Chinese New Year officially finished so I thought it would be rather pertinent to make an episode on the role of Western classical music in China. This varied interview certainly challenges many of the common stereotypes of how classical music is viewed in China. It includes topics such as the history of Western art music in China, political influences, transnationalism, cultural flows and the multiplicities of classical music activities in China today. We also discuss the identities of Chinese classical musicians such as Lang Lang, Yuja Wang and Zhu Xiao-Mei, and how classical music is impacting the younger generation of Chinese musicians, for example, in conservatoires both in China and overseas. Finally, we consider what the future of classical music in China might look like. The main point to emphasise is that the idea of “Chineseness” in classical music should not be seen as one-way or monolithic but in terms of multiple identities and exchanges. Originally published on 8th March 2019. Interview recorded on 22nd February 2019 at 11 Bedford Square. Shzr Ee's bio - https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/shzr-tan_ad70e394-5ecb-4805-bdd3-5f0db9655199.html SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts Facebook – @talkingclassicalpodcast Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com