What is a day in Shanghai like in the language of music? New York-based Chinese pianist Julian Yu attempts to depict a day in the life of Shanghai through his latest composition - a four-chapter piano concerto - which will be the centerpiece of his recital at the Shanghai Center Theater.

The Shanghai-born pianist has dedicated the composition to the 2010 World Expo.

A melody played by clarinets will kick off the concerto in Chapter One, "Sunrise," Yu says. "And then the piano will join in and the melody flow higher and higher, faster and faster until it reaches a climax produced by the grand sound of brass instruments," he adds.

Yu has staged two sold-out concerts featuring his own romantic compositions in Shanghai in the past two years. The concerts began in darkness to the sound of pounding waves before lights were gradually turned up to give the feeling of "sun rising from the sea."

Yu's musical career followed a classic pathway. He won a full scholarship to New York's Manhattan School of Music in 1994 and later received a master's degree in music in 2001.

Eight years ago he made his Shanghai debut playing Beethoven's sonata and Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

But in 2006 he reappeared as a New Age pianist in the modern romantic style and, as well as performing sold-out concerts, also played adaptations from theme songs of popular South Korean movies and TV series.

Last year his Shanghai concert even included two Messiah suites - his own arrangements of the renowned Handel composition.

His composing career started out as a hobby, composing small, romantic pieces as a kind of New York diary, created to release the stress of living and studying away from home.

His work drew attention from YBN, a South Korean recording company, which signed Yu as the company's first Chinese artist.

For his new piano concerto, Yu says that the second chapter "Jasmine Flower" - the same name as the famous Chinese folk song - is mellow and sweet, comparable to Puccini's opera "Tourandot."

The third chapter, "Dance of the Sea," is happy and vivacious, reflecting the pace of life in our dynamic city through the performance of piano, string, wind and percussion instruments.

The last chapter "Sunset," however, is the favorite of this pianist, best known for composing and playing sensitive pieces.

"The golden sunset over the architecture on the Bund always puts me in a tranquil mood. Even a new visitor would fall in love with such a warm feeling," says Yu. "I try to reflect this kind of sweet, harmonious scene with flutes and clarinets."

Yu will also play Edvard Grieg's "A minor piano concerto" with the Shanghai Youth Symphony Orchestra from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music during the concert.

Date: November 15, 7:30pm

Venue: Shanghai Center Theater, 1376 Nanjing Rd W.

Tickets: 100-2,000 yuan

(CRI November 7, 2008)