Renowned composer a shy debutant

Lin Tian'ai is composing for a Broadway Musical that will likely open in New York in 2015. Photo provided to China Daily

Gospel twins in tune with Beijing

Jazz player melds musical styles of East and West

Composer Lin Tian'ai is better known for writing songs for pop stars such as Sammi Cheng Sau-Man, Gigi Leung Wing-kei, and working on soundtracks of movies and TV series, including My Sassy Girl 2 and My Youth Who Call the Shots.

But she has often been asked if she'd like to do a movie or TV role or even cut her own music album. The attractive 29-year-old, with a clean image and ample talent, has the potential to become a star.

So, when her self-titled album recently debuted online, she faced the same question: Will she perform onstage or prefer to stay behind the scenes?

"Becoming a star has never been on my agenda. I like staying in the studio and working on my music. When I listen to my works, I feel happy. That's the feeling I can never get onstage," Lin says with confidence.

Her album, which she describes as a review of herself, contains a collection of songs written by her over the past decade.

As cautious as she may sound, Lin made her onstage foray on Aug 18, when she sang You Are the Dream, one of her songs, as pianist Li Yundi played along, at a charity event in Macao.