♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -This is a real reflection on my career, and I want to share those early memories, early inspirations.

Those pieces are the reason why we became a pianist, why we want to be a musician.

♪♪ Once you are so professional, you molt.

You forget about your beginning.

You forget about why you are doing it.

♪♪ I'm very happy to talk about my favorite melodies today.

And, for me, a great melody has something which always to touch our heart without any trying, you know?

It just -- just come like... you know, comes into your heart.

For example, the easiest one -- I give you an example -- is like this.

[ Beethoven's "Fur Elise" plays ] ♪♪ Just like that.

It's like you are the best friend with and you never met this melody or this person before, but somehow you know it.

♪♪ So, I still remember when we did the music video in London with pianists, but who's actually not a professional pianist, who's amateur pianist who work in a bar, was still a student, and someone who played piano as a kid and now looking back after so many years.

So this really shows this piece, the Beethoven, "Fur Elise," is for everyone.

You know, everyone has some sort of a memory with this piece.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ It shows how much this piece heals our heart and how much this piece synergize our hearts through the process of making this music.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ When I was a kid, I kind of -- I mean, I liked the piece, obviously, but I didn't like the piece in the same time.

I feel that everybody is playing this piece, and somehow I feel it's a bit... you know, played too often.

And it's the same thing, not only in this piece, but if you look into some other -- "Twinkle, Twinkle" -- you know, this one.

[ "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" plays ] Everybody plays.

♪♪ Everybody play.

So I kind of like it.

It was inspirational, but...

I really fell in love with the piece much later when I'm, you know, -- when I'm already an adult... and I'm looking back and I'm like, "Wow.

Those are really good, great pieces!"

But in the beginning, I thought this was, like, very nice to share with people, but you don't feel this is a -- this piece has a substance.

But, actually, the ones I just mentioned, they have such a beautiful substance, and you can really make very intimate style of playing.

Same with some of the -- for example, like Schumann, "Traumerei," you know?

♪♪ So it's just, like, a one-minute piece, right?

♪♪ ♪♪ It seems really simple, but actually the structure of the piece is like delicate, small paintings, but with every detail, you have to, you know -- you have to paint.

It's the same thing.

And sometimes when you grow up, the smaller piece is the more difficult to play.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ In our music video of the "1st Prelude" of Bach, we want people to be completely free and to be brave and to think big in their life.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] My dream as a kid, it was always concert pianist.

As a first-grade kid, I wrote, "My dream is to become a world-class pianist."

[ Laughs ] [ Applause ] I think, as a pianist, we are also a painter, and sometimes I feel that I'm painting something.

Especially when you're switching the harmonies, you really feel that you are a painter.

For example, easily I can do the Rachmaninoff "Concerto No.

2."

Like, see?

♪♪ Then I paint something else.

♪♪ Then another thing comes.

♪♪ Another one comes.

♪♪ And then a different character.

♪♪ Another one coming!

♪♪ ♪♪ So I think...this really shows how powerful the piano can do.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The reason I know about this piece is from the American Teachers Association book, and I see that this piece, "Ivan Sings," is one of the most popular piece which American students play.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Bach, "Goldberg Variation."

The aria.

In G-major.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I always, you know -- Obviously we all know the idea of creating this aria is to make someone falling asleep.

So that's why I think Bach choose the G-major.

G-major somehow has this calm, peaceful mood, set this tune.

But, for me, this piece is like you are walking on the clouds.

You know, this is so soft, everything, but you're still walking.

It's not like you are just flying.

You still have this... ♪♪ So -- Which is the most important few notes of the entire variation.

Because everything afterward is kind of... ♪♪ Follow the bass roots.

And I remember when I played once for Maestro Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

This was a long time ago.

Right before the recap, we have this part.

♪♪ ♪♪ He said to me, "Can you imagine... you are the only person left on this planet... and you have to play alone?"

And I was like... And he said, "You have to be away from the people."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ This piece always brings us to some sort of special mood.

And I think this is one of the -- absolutely the best melody and best arias in the world existing today.

And I always play it for myself when I feel kind of exhausted in the evening or if I feel very depressed.

You know, I play this.

Everything is fine.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Every musical piece is built from melody, harmony, and rhythm.

It's basically like... here, here, and here.

So you have to combine your brain, your heart, and your guts.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ "Spinning Song" by Mendelssohn, it's like sparkling water, you know?

This... ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ It's difficult, but it's not that difficult.

It looks very difficult.

Sometimes some piece looks so difficult, but it's actually okay, and some piece look so simple, but it's so difficult.

And this piece, it's kind of in the middle, you know?

It's -- It is not easy to play if you want to do this clarity, you know, those bubbles, you know, this sparkling sound.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ It was Valentine's night in Paris.

♪♪ It's one of the most dreaming nights I ever had, you know, to see Eiffel Tower blinking, to see the couples kissing around the river.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] I watched the "Amélie" movie a long, long time ago, and I loved it.

I think this movie is a real classic, you know, to show us the French style of living.

And the music, it's really great.

I mean, I remember when Amélie is, you know, like a whirlwind, you know, inside of the city.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Great.

I mean, I love this style of living.

You know, relaxed but... not too lazy.

[ Laughs ] You know?

It's always somehow being there but enjoy the moment of life.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] I love "Clair de Lune."

I heard it so many times from the movie even before I started playing.

I think this piece is used the most as a classical piece in the world of movies, films.

Somehow, I think every 10 movies, you'll see one has this... ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] -Every year, I'm trying to play a Chinese music song.

The reason is not only that...

I'm Chinese, I should play Chinese music, because I believe, you know, the world need Oriental culture and need to have kind of a freshness of -- of sound.

And for me, I love Chinese folk music because my father used to play erhu.

So, he played a lot for me when I was a kid.

So I hear so many Chinese melodies, you know?

Like... ♪♪ [ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ And then we like to add some kind of ornamentation.

♪♪ You know, so...

So, when I would learn, like, Bach's ornamentation, I was like, "Wow!

Finally I see there's some connection between baroque music to Chinese music."

It seems like ancient music likes to add ornamentations around one note, and one of the most popular one among old Chinese music is called "Jasmine Flowers."

Um... ♪♪ A possible ornamentation is... ♪♪ [Laughing] See?

It's really like baroque music in a way, right?

The reason it became so famous is because Puccini made it into the "Turandot" opera.

That's how the whole world knows about the melody.

But there's another version which is more Chinese.

It's like this.

♪♪ Yeah, this is the more original...

It's the more Chinese flavor.

♪♪ [ Humming ] Yeah.

So it's like that.

So... And I think, you know, world need it.

I think world needs some Oriental sound.

And this will also inspire the new composers to write new music.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ This music combines joy, passion, emotion... and the most beautiful melodies.

Also, I feel Disney is a globe.

You have the culture heritage from Europe, like "Snow White."

You have music heritage from China, which is "Mulan."

You have Mexican folk music from "Coco."

And then the Colombian inspired story for "Encanto."

And the great jazz journey with "Soul," you know, with New Orleans jazz style.

So in a way, through Disney movies, you learn the whole world and you also find we're so similar.

You know?

It's always about love, passion, and the willingness of achieve something, some dream.

And this is something -- You see this quality from every culture.

So we have "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from "Encanto."

This is so great.

I love this piece.

I will play this a lot in my encores, you know.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ "Beauty and the Beast" is really one of the legend.

The story is legend.

The melody.

[ "Beauty and the Beast" plays ] This is so legendary.

♪♪ ♪♪ It's kind of a sad story, you know, but I think it really touches our heart, you know, this contrast between this beast and this -- this very beautiful girl.

And they start having the most beautiful waltz in a ballroom, and then somehow miracle things happened.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪