Music mavericks set the tone for China's next generation

Educational approach

Unlike traditional orchestra conductors, Sun often uses unconventional approaches to bring the symphony closer to the audience.

One of his methods involves talking directly to the audience from the podium, giving details of the composer, the performers and the musical instruments being played. He believes this gives the audience a greater appreciation of the performance.

Sometimes speaking is not enough. During a concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts last year, he invited a well-known landscape painter to create artworks while he conducted on the stage.

He believes for a performance to resonate deeply with an audience, it's important to employ elements that engage multiple senses.

"I've never seen such a novel performance," Situ Cao, a netizen who attended the concert, commented on lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote).

"It was a feast for both the ears and eyes. Hearing the conductor explaining the creation background and artistic concept of each piece and seeing the artist painting, I felt like I could understand the music and become more immersed."

Sun said educational concerts are popular in Western countries, but are still uncommon in China, adding that he has also given educational concerts on Chinese folk music.

During one performance with the China National Traditional Orchestra last year, he explained the creation and artistic ideas behind famous folk pieces such as A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix and The Silk Road.