Chen Sa is one of China's foremost classical pianists.

One of China's leading young pianists, along with Lang Lang and Li Yundi, Chen Sa's calendar is filled with requests for live performances. But Chen, 2005 Crystal Award winner of the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, made it there twice last month, with a successful Ravel concert with French maestro Michel Plasson and the Beijing debut of the newly-formed Beijing Trio.
Lust for Lizst

Tonight, she graces the NCPA stage for the third time, to stage a recital solo to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birthday, during which she will perform "At Lake Wallenstadt" and "The Bells of Geneva: Nocturne" from his suites Years of Pilgrimage, along with "Hungarian Rhapsody," "Ballade No.2" and Beethoven's "The Tempest" and "Waldstein."

 "Although the Ballade is not performed so frequently as Liszt's other pieces, it has its own artistic values. It is profound in musicality, and abundant in emotions," said 31-year-old Chen.

She was credited as "one of the brightest performers of her generation" by the UK's Classic FM and praised by Singapore's Strait Times for eschewing Lang Lang's "trademark mannerisms," and topping Li Yundi's "technical brilliance by having that element of the personal human touch."

"[Liszt]'s life experience is fascinating and [he] is very unique, both as a composer and a person," Chen explained. "Usually, I get to know about a composer, starting with an understanding of his works and then I imagine what his life was like," explained Chen, better known for her rendering of Chopin and the only pianist to win awards in the world's top three piano competitions (Leeds, Chopin and Van Cliburn).

In China, composers' human perspective is often overlooked, with more emphasis put on virtuoso technique. "Music students seem too busy to actually reflect on what kind of person a composer is. You can learn a piece by mastering some techniques but you also need to dig deep and think seriously," Chen explained, citing a recent interview with pianist Chen Hongkuan, who suggested the most beautiful music should be analyzed through such fields as aesthetics, philosophy and mathematics.

Chamber's future

With a busy schedule, Chen remains passionate and enthusiastic about chamber music primarily. Her newly formed Beijing Trio, an ensemble featuring elite violinist Ning Feng and cellist Yang Meng, has drawn acclaim from music lovers and fulfilled a long-cherished dream for the pianist as well.

"You need passion and patience to play chamber music," Chen said. Although it has a history of about 500 years in the West, for Chinese who only began to appreciate classical music in the 1950s, chamber music is still novel. Having played across Europe and America, Chen is optimistic about the chamber music scene in China.

Chamber music can be rewarding to both the players and audience, she noted. The musician can discover the connections between different instruments, she observed, and listeners will notice the music's dimensional aspects.

"The audience don't need to be equipped with music theory while going to a concert, and the most natural state is the communication between heart to heart," Chen noted.

"Once that happens, other aspects such as technique, won't count anymore. "