Swiss pianist Reto Reichenbach [Provided to InKunming]

Reto Reichenbach taught Chinese little children to play piano, and was highly adored by these children. [Provided to InKunming]

[InKunming--Interview & Polls]  On April 11, 2015, Reto Reichenbach, a well-known pianist from Swizerland, played a piano recital at Kunming Theatre. To Kunming audience, Reto was not very new to them, since Reto had held piano concerts in the city for three times. However, they still would like to book tickets to attend Reto's concert.

"Reto owns super skill in playing piano. Musical tunes played by him could move me a lot. It seems like that my soul was awakened up by his performance." A loyal fan of Reto told InKunming journalist.

"Reto's music expression is also very rich. Sounds played by him from his fingers heard like a gurgle of a stream." Another fan to Reto added.

To Reto, Kunming people and Kunming audience are very warm to him. He said:"Although I do not very familiarize with Kunming, I came here in few times, people in the city treat me very enthusiastically. Because of these people, I got a very nice impression on the city."

Reto also referred that transportation in Kunming looks a little disordered, but foods in the city taste very delicious. Foods is another attractive point for him to visit the city.

During the past five years when Reto came to Kunming, he also established friendships with some of Kunming local people. Some of these people are learners to Reto, including adults and children. Others are business partners, college professors, etc.

These people not only appreciate Reto's high piano-playing skill, but also admire Reto's charming traits. In these people's eyes, Reto is very sincere, gentle, and kind.

Jin Xiaoyun, who teaches Piano lessons in Kunming now and had learned from Reto in Austria a few years ago, is such a good friend to Reto in Kunming. She said: "Reto knows how to express connotation of music tunes. Music played by his hands on piano heard very natural and harmonious. I had learned some good techniques from Reto to understand a piece of music tune well. Besides, he is very earnest to each person. He does not pretend to like things that he do not like. For instance, if he dislikes a dish flavor, he would tell me the truth sincerely."

A business partner of Reto in Kunming also said: "Reto treat our Chinese people very kindly. Sometimes he is as pure as a boy, so that we could know each other better, even though language seems to form obstacles to us."

As so many Kunming people welcome Reto, Reto came to Kunming time after time. The first time Reto played piano concert in Kunming was on March 27, 2010 in Kunming theatre. Due to successful performances on that concert, he was invited to attend a face-to-face sharing meeting at TCG Nordica bar in Kunming in that year.

Reto Reichenbach practices playing music tunes on piano in Kunming intently. [Provided to InKunming]

Reto Reichenbach leaves words to audience who appreciate him highly.[Provided to InKunming]

And in 2012, he was asked to play piano concerts in Kunming two times. One was held on March 31, themed on western classical music. And another was held on April 7, themed on Beethoven's music, which Reto and a symphony orchestra together played a piano concerto concert about.

All tickets for these concerts had been sold out. There was no vacant space left in the theatre for these concerts. Almost all of Kunming audience that listened to Reto's music played in these concerts listened very intently.

Even when Reto himself assessed audience's responses to his concerts, Reto said: "Kunming audience are very different from our western audience. They looked younger than our western audience. It is hard to imagine that China has such a large number of young people having interests in western music, and in piano."

"The Kunming audience to me are very enthusiastic. They applauded a longer time than our western audience did, so that I have to wait longer in the theatre to begin playing another music tune." Reto shared his opinion on difference between Chinese and western audience.

To a foreigner, Kunming is a city that has many differences from his hometown. There is no exception for Reto to think like this. However, due to Kunming audience's enthusiasm and Reto's kind attitude to friendship with Chinese people, and his interests in foods of the city, Reto came for the city again and again. Reto said:" If I have more opportunities to play concerts in the city, I will do in future. Kunming people and audience are very amicable to me. I like the city."

Click here to view Chinese report.

(Editors: Cathy Chen, Tracy)