On the latest album, entitled Gateways, the first recording of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra signed it signed to Deutsche Grammophon label in June 2018, Yu, the conductor and artistic director of the 140-year-old orchestra, selected two of Chen's works to feature the album: the violin concerto, La joie de la sufferance and Wu Xing (The Five Elements).
"When we discussed the programs for the orchestra's first album with DG, we all agreed to tell Chinese stories through music. An important mission of the album is to bridge the gap between traditional Chinese culture and an international audience," says Yu. "Chen's work is frequently played worldwide and enjoyed by people from different cultures. He has a unique way of combining traditional Chinese philosophy with Western music. You can feel his incredible imagination in his music, therefore, it was among the first we chose.
"When we have performed his work around the world, Chen liked to say something to the audience about his pieces and I have always stopped him. His music speaks for itself and is strong enough to communicate with people."
Born in Shanghai, Yu, 55, studied piano with his grandfather, the composer Ding Shande, before he was trained at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and later at the Hochschule der Kunst in Berlin. On his return from Europe, Yu has become a central character in the development of the Chinese classical music scene.
Like Yu, Chen, 68, is also a Shanghai native. In 1977, Chen was enrolled to study composition at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and in 1984 he moved to France where, for four years, he studied with Olivier Messiaen as the great French composer's last pupil. He is best known as the musical director for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and composed the song, You and Me. He is also known for his cooperation with Chinese film director Zhang Yimou on the 2001 ballet production, Raise the Red Lantern, based on Zhang's film with the same title and the film, The Flowers of War, in 2011.
The two works by Chen on the new album come from very different periods in his career.
