Blogs

Musicians Spotlight

"Musicians Spotlight" is the cornerstone of my blogs on WeChat Official Accounts, 琴心杂货铺(QinXin General), and represents the original intention behind its creation. Throughout my academic journey and countless conversations about classical music, I've frequently encountered questions about composers, often intertwined with rumors and inquiries into the relationship between their works and personal lives.

To address this, I've dedicated this section to rigorously researched profiles of these musicians, presenting not only their remarkable talents but also a holistic view of their lives as real individuals. Rather than limiting the discussion to their works and accomplishments alone, each composer is introduced with detailed biographical insights, complemented by professionally titled references to their compositions and recommended album links for deeper exploration.

Here are some selected articles from the "Musicians Spotlight" series:

César Franck: Before the Stage, Behind the Stage, Back to the Stage
Erik Satie: An Eccentric and Bizarre Oddity
Franz Liszt: Music is the Heartbeat of Life, and the Artist's Destiny is Sadness and Greatness

Frédéric Chopin: The Wind Carried Away My Songs, While the Homeland Lives in Dreams (Part I)

Frédéric Chopin: Preserving Memories, Narrating through Music (Part II)

Frédéric Chopin: Across Distant Lands, I Still Hear the Melodies of Poland (Part III)
Germaine Tailleferre: A Page She Deserves in Music History
Gustav Mahler: The Inherent Exile - A Perpetual Persona Non Grata
Ludwig van Beethoven: Never Yielding to Fate (Part I)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Never Yielding to Fate (Part II)
Maurice Ravel: Messenger of Cats, Chosen by Music
Maurizio Pollini: Art, as the Dream of Society
Nikolai Medtner: Inspiration Arrives—Thought Filled with Emotion, Emotion Filled with Sensation
Olivier Messiaen: A Man of Resilience and a Zest for Life
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: A Wandering Outsider Among Mortals

Richard Wagner: A Good Man? An Artist! [English]
Seiji Ozawa: Listening to Great Music is Pure Joy—The Simplest, The Most Complex [English]
Sergei Prokofiev: A Chess Master Distracted by Music
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Music Flowing from the Depths of the Heart (Part I)
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Recursive Journey to the Depths of the Soul (Part II)
Van Cliburn: Known for the International Piano Competition
Vladimir Horowitz: A Perfect Existence Because of Imperfection

Sciences & Mental Health

In this series, I share my contributions to two prominent WeChat accounts, Neureality (神经现实) and CaringMinds (此心), where I write and co-author articles focused on science communication and mental health awareness. Below are selected articles, with some linked to the original Chinese publications and others presented in English translation: