Yin Chengzong Celebrates 75 Years on Stage with Historic Recital in Kulangsu

On June 7th, 2025, Yin Chengzong—arguably China’s most towering pianist—marked 75 years on stage with a landmark recital at the Kulangsu (Gulangyu) Concert Hall. The 700-seat venue was filled to capacity with an eager audience, all fortunate enough to witness the performance of a living legend.Tickets were offered free of charge and were snapped up within minutes of becoming available.The concert celebrated two significant milestones: the 55th anniversary of the Yellow River Piano Concerto, which Yin co-composed with three others, and the 75th anniversary of his debut on Kulangsu. That debut took place when he was just nine years old, during a turbulent chapter in Chinese history—when the island still bore the remnants of civil war between defeated Nationalist forces and Communist troops preparing to reclaim it.Performing entirely from memory, Yin presented works that have remained close to his heart since the beginning: D. Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. He concluded the recital with two encores: one by Schumann, and the other his own composition.The footage was filmed and recorded on June 7th, 2025 at Kulangsu. 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