Pianist Ju Xiaofu on 'Mist Without'

Renowned young pianist Ju Xiaofu shared with China.org.cn how he was inspired by China's "misty poetry" to create his new album and promote Chinese sound to the world.

Pianist Ju Xiaofu speaks at an album sharing session for his new album "Mist Without" in Beijing, July 31, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Group]

Ju said the main inspiration for his album "Mist Without" is China's misty poetry and the German word "Weltschmerz." Misty poetry reveals reality through atmosphere and image, not direct statement, he explained, while "Weltschmerz" refers to a lucid awareness of the world's suffering and fractures, and the sustained melancholy and empathy that follow.

"My original intention was to create a term that could convey the meaning of Weltschmerz, the world-pain, within a Chinese context, and then combine it with all my favorite pieces of music on the album to present a complete vision," he said.

The young pianist and poet said he grew up reading misty poems and that the poetry style had long influenced him creatively, especially the poet Zhang Zao, a leading figure of Chinese avant-garde poetry, who is his favorite icon and profound inspiration.

The artist said the philosophical reflections hidden in the title of his album and the music within reflect himself. "Because I feel that whether in music or in life, you can never separate yourself from what you think. For me, it may be literature or philosophy, it gives me all my inspiration and has accompanied me through every day and night."

He added, "I believe that the different art forms, in the end, inevitably connect and communicate with one another. So for me, from inspiration to concept to the final result, this album was a very natural creative process."

Centered on a theme of memory and time's return, "Mist Without" spans diverse musical languages and periods, arcing from the haze and drift of Leoš Janáček's "In the Mists" to the sharper foreboding and death of his "Sonata 1.X.1905," then through Maurice Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit," to the intimate "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem — in Ju’s solo-piano arrangement, an intimate monologue stripped of orchestral grandeur. The unresolved final chord of Ju's transcription of John Dowland's "In Darkness Let Me Dwell" leads into the almost combustive intensity and ascending will of Alexander Scriabin's "White Mass" (Piano Sonata No. 7) — a final reversal that shatters the accumulated weight with light and density.

Regarding the dark theme in his album, Ju said he thought about it early on. "I first started thinking about death when I was very young — around 12 or 13. And then I came to understand a simple truth: we all know this is inevitable."

He continued, "It's a bit like the Greek view of tragedy — the mainstream view of tragedy — that at the end of each of our stories, this is what awaits us. But I don't think that means my emotions or experiences have to turn negative just because of that. I don't see it that way. As Albert Camus talked about the difference between active nihilism and pessimistic nihilism, I would say I hope to live my life as an active person."

Pianist Ju Xiaofu performs on a piano at an album sharing session for his new album "Mist Without" in Beijing, July 31, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Group]

He also said it is definitely a mission for him to promote Chinese sound internationally.

"Now we always see many young Chinese musicians on the international music scene, and we inject our cultural background into our performances and creations," he noted. "It is our contemporary mission, and we shall work hard to spread Chinese sound in the world. It is not just for me to do — it is a responsibility for the entire community."

"Mist Without" was released through Deutsche Grammophon China, with its physical versions on CD and vinyl debuting on July 31. On the same day, the pianist also held an album sharing session with collaborators, critics, fellow artists and media, interspersing storytelling with live performances to guide the audience into his story and the musical world of the album. He will also embark on a solo concert tour across multiple cities in China.