Pianist John Chen, back from Kampala, tours New Zealand with a French programme

New Zealand pianist John Chen, now based in Uganda’s capital, is returning to the stages of his home country. His solo piano recital, made up entirely of works by French composers, is travelling through the towns and cities of Aotearoa with the support of Chamber Music New Zealand. The June leg of the tour has already finished, but there are still several July concerts ahead.

A French recital at local venues

The tour is small-scale and almost intimate. Chen performs not only in major halls, but also for small local concert societies scattered around the country. In his own words, he is visiting some of these venues for the first time, and that brings a fresh energy to the tour. The musician admits he had almost forgotten how beautiful New Zealand is, and he is enjoying the scenery on the road between performances.

He says that coming back allowed him to notice things he hadn’t noticed before. For example, that in New Zealand people use mobile phones very actively. In Uganda, smartphones are also quite common and the quality of mobile internet in big cities is not bad, but New Zealanders are still more active users. It’s plain to see.

One significant change in New Zealand, Chen says, is that many people in the country use their phones to play online casino games. John was surprised to learn that some of his friends even specifically track new casino no deposit bonuses on review sites. For many New Zealanders this is a normal part of leisure time—and that’s one way the country differs from Uganda. People gamble less there, but the main thing is the attitude to gambling itself: it isn’t regarded as part of the culture. He found this difference interesting, because it seems to run counter to the usual stereotypes about national character. New Zealanders are more organised, and Ugandans are more spontaneous.

At the same time, in Uganda life feels less rushed, and the country leaves more time for simple activities and pleasures.

Who is John Chen?

The pianist’s career got off to a high-profile start. In 2004 he won the Sydney International Piano Competition, also taking special prizes for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as for chamber music and concerto performance. Since then, his career has taken him across Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. His credits include Germany’s Klavierfestival Ruhr and the Singapore International Piano Festival.

Life in Uganda and school corridors instead of concert halls

Today Chen lives in Kampala and works as deputy head, as well as chaplain, at Acacia International School. The move to the African continent coincided with a pause in his touring schedule and a need to find his place beyond a concert career.

“I wanted to do something different with my life,” he said on RNZ’s Three to Seven programme. “There are so many wonderful musicians around, and I thought: the world might not even notice if there were one fewer.”

The desire to make a tangible difference proved stronger than stage ambitions. Chen emphasises that his Christian beliefs played an important role in this decision.

From Kampala back to the piano

His return to the concert stage coincided with a rethinking of his repertoire. French Romantic music had always remained part of his performing identity, but at some point a whole swathe of that legacy had slipped into the background. Chen decided to fill that gap and delve into works he had long been putting off.

“French music has always been an important part of my work. But I rather neglected some of the French Romantics,” the pianist explains. “I looked through this repertoire and chose pieces that I considered important for my own musical development.” Among them, he singles out two works in particular:

• César Franck, “Prélude, Choral et Fugue”, a work he’d been urged many times to take on.
• Gabriel Fauré, “Theme and Variations”, which won him over with its depth and elegance.

“I really love these pieces,” Chen admits, without any fuss.

Family, Africa, and a new sense of identity

The musician’s personal story is also intertwined with the African continent. He met his wife and married in Zambia, and Kampala became the family’s home. Today Chen defines himself first and foremost as a teacher, putting being a musician in second place.

“I’d say I still dabble in music. It’s one of my main passions. I still really enjoy practising. But I no longer keep a professional musician’s schedule,” he says. If before his routine involved four or five hours of practice a day and constant learning of new repertoire, now practice has become a kind of personal discipline that exists alongside his main job.

July concerts and meeting the audience

The solo piano concert featuring music by French composers toured New Zealand in June, and a few remaining dates fall in July. The tour is organised by Chamber Music New Zealand, and for Chen it is valuable not only as a chance to take the stage, but also for meeting audiences in those very small concert communities that are the lifeblood of the country’s musical life.

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