Shen Wenyu plays in Jining, Shandong Province in 2011. Photo: Courtesy of Shen Wenyu

His name is often put alongside those of Lang Lang and Li Yundi, the top two pianists in China. However, unlike the latter two international superstars who perform on the world stage, his biggest stage right now is on Sina Weibo and youku.com, where he uploads videos of his performances for thousands of youngsters who are learning to play piano. His name is Shen Wenyu.

A childhood prodigy

Shen was born in Chongqing Municipality in 1986. When Shen was 5 years old, his parents discovered that after he had listened to the theme song of a TV drama, he could use his forefinger to play the entire song on his 20-yuan ($3.3) toy piano. Later, when he actually heard a real piano, he asked his parents to allow him to learn the instrument.

At the age of 9, Shen was able to give his first series of solo piano recitals at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. The next year Shen was invited to South Africa twice to give public recitals.

In 1998, professor Li Mingzhu at Sichuan Conservatory of Music helped Shen get an opportunity to study in Germany. As expected, Shen made a big statement by performing "Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor" for the entrance exam at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe, Germany. 

Shen's talent lies in that he can play something immediately after seeing the score for it, and he has a fantastic memory for music. At the age of 18 he could play every score from all the music books he had owned.

When it is mentioned that he is a genius, Shen explained that the main reason behind this was when he first began learning piano his teacher Liu Jianping found that he had an outstanding ability to memorize a melody and recite the score just by listening to the sound.

"It later turned out that no matter where I went or which teacher I followed, they would be curious to test if I was a genius. It really bothered me, though I could always pass the test," Shen told the Global Times in an e-mail interview.

"My German teachers, professor Gunther Hauer and professor Karl-Hanz-Kämmerling once said that only devils can do what I do, but the title of genius has never brought me any benefits but only trouble. In fact, I never cared about if I was a genius or not," Shen added.

An unexpected path

Shen stayed in Germany for eight years. In 2003, he won second prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Belgium, becoming the youngest winner in the competition's history.

In 2005 he took first prize at the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition in Los Angeles, California. The future seemed extremely bright at the time.

Surprisingly, he chose to come back to China without finishing his degree in Germany.

According to Shen's parents, in November 2005, Su Lihua, the then deputy director of Beijing Concert Hall phoned them and said a Dutch record company wanted to sign a long-term contract with the pianist. Shen flew back to China but unfortunately the negotiations did not go well. Even so, Shen decided not to go back to Germany.

"His goal was to become a professional player. He did not care so much about the degree," Shen's parents told the Global Times in an e-mail interview.

Ever since he returned to China many opportunities have been lost. Most of the performance invitations he receives are from second or third-tier cities in China. Shen had to continue to participate in national piano contests against younger piano players, with mixed results.

Zhu Xianjie, a music critic and pianist, wrote an article for Music Lover magazine in 2008 stating that among all the young domestic pianists, Shen's talent is unique.

"Maybe his technique is so good that he lost the adventure, the fire or energy in his music…everything seems so perfect that it sounds like an alien is playing. It lacks a human infectivity," Zhu wrote.

Who to blame?

Shen's story has caused a lot of discussions among media and the public. In China, where a huge number of parents have been taking their children to piano classes with high expectations over the past two decades, the focus of the media is mostly about "why Shen failed to become as successful as Lang Lang and Li Yundi," and naturally, the conclusion is that his parents carry a certain amount of responsibility.

His father is presented in many media as a disciplinarian similar to Lang Lang's father. Some contribute Shen's unfinished degree to his father's "dictatorship," saying that he arranged both Shen's personal and music life, even after Shen had became an adult.

However, Shen said that he has always been closer to his mother, who also kept him company in Germany and when he performs on tour. "I have spent little time with my dad since I was a child. We did different things at home and didn't bother each other. My mother probably had more influence on me," Shen told the Global Times.

"There is no perfect education in the world and there is no family or individual that has no problems at all. We can only be tolerant and understanding of the online interpretations," said the parents.

When asked if Shen has any regrets about coming back to China, Shen's parents said that it was down to fate. "Many pianists also came back. That was not the point."

Some industry insiders attribute the lack of great performance opportunities to the absence of a professional international agent.

For the family, it is all rumors and controversy. "There are many reasons, but the most important one is that public opinion has destroyed his personal and family image. Thus many organizations refuse to offer him a chance."

One Internet user called Shen "a moneymaking machine for his parents" on Sina Weibo. Shen replied that he would be flattered to be given such a title. 

"I have had very few performance opportunities in the eight years since I came back. Being a money-making machine means a lot of high level performances and success," he explained.

Now, living in Beijing, Shen spends most of his days at home practicing on his Steinway and recording. His videos are never edited so everything needs to come together in one take.

"My dream is to play all the famous pieces in the world and record them. Of course I also want to tour around the world, performing and making money but those are opportunities that must be given by others. Things that ought to come will come, if not, just forget about them," said Shen.