Bridging classical music, pop culture with easy listening pieces

Young Chinese pianist Ruan Yangyang, a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and winner of multiple piano competitions, purports to be a "Pianist of a New Generation".

- Chang Tou Liang

What does that even mean? The 25-year-old's piano recital went some way to answer that poser, with an attempt to bridge the gap between serious classical music and popular culture by appealing to younger listeners.

It comprised separate chapters with titles such as "Love, Longing and Dreams" and "Innocence and Remembrance". These juxtaposed classics with arrangements of music written for Japanese anime movies.

The recital opened with Frederic Chopin's Nocturne In B Flat Minor (Op. 9 No. 1), displaying a true feel for cantabile, the art of singing.

This went directly to Your Lie In April (2016), accompanied by a trio formed by violinist Christina Zhou, cellist Xu Xuena and percussionist Cheong Kah Yiong, which performed in all the anime pieces.

This was very pleasant mood music, lovingly played, which incorporated Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Turkish Rondo midway through.