The world is beautiful, we are always together, music is eternal.
It is not every day that one can be in the presence of a composer while their piece is being played. In this instance, though, the composer was not just present, he was performing his own work as part of the orchestra.
Brothers in Harmony showcased young talent on every level: musicianship, articulacy, composure. The evening was introduced by Carey Tan, the 13-year-old composer and multi-instrumentalist, who gave an overview of the inspiration behind his pieces. That inspiration draws on serious, real-world subjects, war and the rise of AI, and it’s striking that someone so young can not only compose music of this complexity and craft, but also speak fluently about issues as weighty as these. Most of us would agree the world could use more peace, and that sentiment ran through the night.
For the first piece, Carey Tan’s Symphony No. 2, “The Cries of War,” the composer himself sat at the front of the stage, playing marimba as part of the orchestra, a placement that felt entirely fitting for this section of the percussion. The symphony traced the cries of war and what remains once it ends, moving through three parts: the misery of war, post-war reflection, and reconciliation. These three movements track the real stages of conflict and its aftermath, and the piece leans into a stage most works like this tend to skip: the ending, and everything that comes after. Where discussions of war usually focus on its causes and its conduct, this symphony turns its attention to moving on, and those three stages come through clearly across the movements.
Kevin Tan, just 16, followed his younger brother’s premiere with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, the “Emperor,” taking it on with a confident, full-bodied touch. His phrasing in the Adagio was unhurried and singing, while the outer movements had the drive and clarity the piece demands. The pairing let the two brothers bridge the classical repertoire and new work in a single evening.
As Carey Tan explained at the top of the evening, his Symphony No. 3, “The Rise and Fall of AI Humanity,” was inspired by the new age of AI, a thoroughly contemporary subject for a thoroughly contemporary composer. Several movements carried an almost cinematic sweep; beyond the concert hall, it’s easy to imagine this music scoring a film, given how naturally it tells a story.
Both of Kevin’s performances were strong, but it was Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, closing the evening, that seemed to land hardest with the audience. He brought a rich, weighted sound to the opening movement and let the big Romantic melodies breathe without ever tipping into excess. Paired with his brother’s closing remarks, the performance earned a standing ovation from much of the room.
The way both brothers inhabit the music they play, Carey’s compositions and Kevin’s interpretations alike, points to a natural feel for the instrument that most musicians spend a lifetime chasing. But talent alone doesn’t explain a performance like this one; the dedication and hours behind it were just as evident.
The Philharmonia Orchestra, led by Geoffrey Patterson, brought real energy to the evening, it’s always a pleasure to watch musicians who are visibly enjoying themselves, and several members of the orchestra clearly were, all night long.
The evening closed with a line from composer Carey Tan: “Always remember: the world is beautiful, we are always together, and music is eternal.”
This was a one-off performance at Cadogan Hall, London.