He sings low but aims high

• Source: Global Times
• [09:34 August 23 2010]
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"I still remember when I was told I had to audition for James Levine (one of the world's lead-ing conductors) in two weeks. I couldn't turn this down but had to prepare physically and mentally. Students in China rarely get the opportunity to perform live. Even some teachers have never had stage experience," the 1.94-meter-tall young man told the Global Times.

"And the classes in the US were also new for me. There were serious courses on hair styling, preparing dress suits, and dealing with public relations. I had never heard about such things in China."

Bringing some of his American teaching skills back, he is organizing a special free workshop next month. He will help a conservatory classmate at a special "blind" musical performance at the Shanghai Grand Theater for 600 music lovers.

The audience will listen to various recordings of noted classical music but not until the end will they be told who the performers and composers were.

"Hopefully this will help the audience understand and enjoy the music itself rather than being influenced by famous names," said Shen.

Unlike many young Chinese musicians, Shen prefers "leading a peaceful life with music" to "having an international reputation."

The ideal musical setting for him is a cozy salon with friends at home. He regards his Cardiff prize as "a burden on my shoulders" - it meant "I could not be anonymous or lose face for Chinese people … I had to take the world as my stage."

Fame, he believes, is only a good thing in terms of "an international platform" to help him realize his lifetime goal, which is "nothing to do with fame, but to explore my potential and value life as much as I can." He is determined to something constructive and original.

Shen took the great German operatic bass-baritone Hans Hotter and the German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwangler as his role models and still wants to "take music as seriously as Hotter did."