A Chinese-Canadian solo pianist has gone viral for his creative interpretations and eye-catching performances of neoclassical music, with his unique style seeing him becoming a star online and gracing the stage at global concerts.
Piano virtuoso Tony Ann has introduced neoclassical ideas to young people with his creative and approachable music via social media, where he has won millions of fans and over 100 million video views.
In September, Ann made his debut performances in China with shows in Beijing and Shanghai, introducing his original compositions to Chinese audiences. He said he believes music has the power to be widely understood across cultures, and hopes to put his own stamp on some well-known pieces.
"Music is a language that anyone from any background, any culture, any country can understand. And I feel like for me the most important thing that I put into my music is the emotional aspect. And I feel like everyone around the world can appreciate and feel the emotions that musicians put into their work. And maybe on the Internet I like to put forth some of my personality, whether that's in the captions or the way that I engage," he said.
After studying music for well over a decade, Ann has been constantly thinking of ways to push the boundaries of neoclassical and instrumental music while seamlessly blending it with popular sounds. He said he is constantly finding new ways to capture the attention of his social media base, all while staying true to his authentic self.
"I studied classical music for like over 12 years and I went to the conservatory for classical piano, but throughout that process, composing was always the number one passion for me. I feel like the music that I create now, it borrows from classical technique, but also there's a lot of elements borrowed from pop music. So I feel like my music is like a mash of like classical technique but [with] the simplicity of pop," he said.
With sold-out venues and added tour dates, Ann is taking his music from social media to the stage, with gigs lined up well into 2025, showing how he has successfully made the jump from online sensation to a credible artist.
This year alone, Ann has released a trilogy of EPs in partnership with Decca Records France, boasting a collection of 15 tracks that explore the depth of human emotion. On top of working on solo projects, Ann said he loves collaborating and has already co-written platinum singles with U.S. electronic DJ duo The Chainsmokers, including "Sick Boy" and "Call You Mine."
"Besides composing, arranging has been something that I've always loved doing, taking like popular pop songs and adding my spin to it. Just one day I just thought like how would it be if I just took the main melody like the fifth or a canon or like a Mozart theme and just kind of changed the harmonies, added my developments and stuff like that. I read so many comments like 'please do this piece, please do that piece,' and it's really fun for me to like reinterpret and re-imagine popular work from the 1800s. So maybe I'm just introducing these melodies to more audiences that wouldn't have encountered classical music," said Ann.
Chinese-Canadian piano virtuoso gains fame after putting own spin on neoclassical music
