Pop star Han Hong's new album of orchestral instrumental tracks marks the end of a four-year journey of musical discovery, Chen Nan reports.

Han at the launch of her new album of orchestral music. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Whenever pop singer-songwriter Han Hong has an inkling to try something radically different, or to challenge herself musically, she will go for it.

Now 50, she has spent the last four years working on her first classical music album, titled Rising Mist, which was released on Saturday.

I was intrigued by classical music, which can transport you to a different time and place. There are many different musical instruments, which make each classical music piece colorful and expressive.

Han Hong, pop singer-songwriter

"It's a very personal album, which represents my first time composing for classical musicians. Frankly, I dare not call it an album of 'classical music', because I am not classically trained and I am still learning. I call it an album of 'instrumental works'," says Han, who appeared at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Saturday.

Since releasing her debut album, 1998's The Brightness of the Snow, which was an instant hit, Han has become a household name in China, releasing albums, performing theme songs for movies and TV dramas, as well as appearing in grand galas.

"I've not talked to any media over the past five years and the less I talk, the more I love to express myself through music," says Han.

Known for her warm personality and tomboy image, Han has many celebrity friends. At the launch, some of them joined Han to celebrate her new album, including film director Zhang Yimou, actor Ge You, and Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, who is the president of Chinese Basketball Association. They listened to Han's compositions and enjoyed her compelling story behind the new album.

Amber Quartet performs a music piece composed by pop singer-songwriter Han Hong, titled The Journey of One's Own, at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Saturday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

"I didn't listen to classical music until four years ago. But at that time, singing and writing pop songs were not enough for me," she explains. "Unlike pop songs, the classical music pieces have no lyrics. However, to me, they are powerful and touching.

"I was intrigued by classical music, which can transport you to a different time and place. There are many different musical instruments, which make each classical music piece colorful and expressive," Han adds.

One day, about four years ago, Han tried to compose a music piece for cello, which she sent to renowned composer Tan Dun. She got in touch with Tan through a mutual friend and hoped to ask for Tan's professional opinion about her composition.

"In the beginning, I was not sure. 'Is this Han Hong the pop singer I saw on TV?' I asked the friend, who gave me a positive reply. I was very interested and listened to the music piece," recalls Tan. "For classically trained composers, composing a piece of music means (a good mastery of) music theory, compositional techniques and a systematic approach. For Han Hong, her compositions are like secrets that come naturally from her heart."

Actor Ge You (left) enjoying Han's compositions at the National Center for the Performing Arts. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Since then, Han studied with Tan while continuing to write for her new album. Later, she composed for string quartet and even a symphony orchestra, which she describes as "one of the most liberating experiences "of her life.

The opening piece on the album, Song of Life, for Cello and Piano Op 2, was composed by Han in 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she gathered more than 100 Chinese celebrities, including actors, actresses, singers and songwriters, to help Wuhan, Hubei province. As a result of the donation drive, more than 2 billion yuan ($285 million) was donated through her nonprofit, Han Hong Love Charity Foundation, which she founded in 2012. She recorded the experience with music.

"When I think of the year of 2020, I am still moved. Along with my team, I went to Wuhan and other places in Hubei province to deliver food, medicine and daily necessities. It was an unforgettable experience," recalls Han. "In the musical piece, the sound of cello delivers a sense of sadness, while the sound of piano gives us hope. It reflects how I feel about 2020."

The second piece on the album is titled The Journey of One's Own, for String Quartet Op 3, and was performed by Amber Quartet, one of the best-known chamber music ensembles in China, which features four teachers from the Central Conservatory of Music.

Han says the pandemic makes traveling hard. She loves traveling and the first place she hopes to visit when the pandemic is over is Austria. She wants to explore the classical music landscape there. The three-minute piece for string quartet was finished in 2021 and revised several times.

Director Zhang Yimou at the event. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The album's third and longest piece is the four-movement Rising Mist, for Orchestra Op 4, which was performed by China Philharmonic Orchestra. Han started composing it on March 20, 2018 and finished it on Oct 25, 2021.

"It was inspired by a dream of mine, in which I saw mist. I revised it 13 times and the piece has evolved a lot. It felt like finding a new voice to express myself," says Han.

The last piece on the album is titled The First Snow, for Orchestra Op 1, based on a song she wrote in 2017 for a Chinese musical, A Moment of Remembrance, which aimed to raise awareness about elderly people with Alzheimer's disease. The piece, about five minutes long, was performed by the International Master Philharmonic Orchestra.

Born in Chamdo city, the Tibet autonomous region, Han was introduced to music by her mother, a Tibetan folk singer. Her father, an ethnic Han, died when she was 6 years old. Growing up with her grandmother in Beijing, Han was admitted to the PLA Academy of Arts to study singing in 1995. Later, she was trained at the China Conservatory of Music by her vocal teacher Zou Wenqin.

"When I listened to Han Hong singing, I was instantly impressed by her wide vocal range. She has the talent to sing, and surprisingly, she can also write songs," says Zou, 80. "Now she is heading in a new direction as a composer of instrumental works. She never stops pushing boundaries as a musician."

As well as announcing her new album, Han also invited pianist Chen Sa to premiere her piano composition, Homes, which will be recorded on her second instrumental album.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn