The Art of Slowing Down

This is a Chinese language programme with bilingual subtitles.On 7 November at the Kuwayama Art Museum in Nagoya, members of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra found themselves in an unexpected dialogue between music and tea. In an exclusive and serene tea house, Principal Viola Yang Liuyin and Associate Concertmaster Wu Qian joined their string quartet colleagues for an afternoon that blended Mozart with Japanese tradition.They performed the second movement of Mozart’s Divertimento, its poised, transparent lines echoing the quiet focus of the tea ceremony. Afterwards, they put down their bows to whisk their own bowls of matcha. For Yang, the experience revealed a surprising harmony between sound and flavour. “The second movement we played is very refined, very delicate,” she said. “When we tasted the matcha, it carried the same sense of subtle layering, a clear and graceful feeling.”For Wu, the moment was about rediscovering stillness. “It’s really about a sense of ritual,” she reflected. “We live in a very busy city where life moves fast. This experience made me feel calm again. Life needs moments like this, where we can slow down and savour the process.”The musicians’ visit was part of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra’s cultural exchange programme in Nagoya, which included masterclasses and a concert at the Nogoya College of Music. Yet this intimate encounter at the art museum captured something beyond performance: a quiet understanding between two cultures, expressed through gesture, sound, and silence.As they thanked their hosts and prepared for the concert in Kyoto the following day, the musicians carried with them not just the memory of exquisite tea, but the reminder that music, like life, becomes deeper when one learns to slow down and truly listen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com