From West to East: Rui Ribeiro Shares His Musical and Cultural Experience in China

After a decade of collaborating with orchestras, instrumental groups, and Chinese artists, and conducting dozens of concerts across China, Rui Ribeiro reflects on his experience bridging distinct cultures in the East.

“Music is the platform where we meet, understand one another, and share emotions,” Rui Ribeiro states, summarizing his journey across various international stages. China, where he has worked with musicians from all over the country, has been one of the most significant settings in his career. “Conducting an orchestra in China, from a purely musical perspective, hasn't posed challenges different from those I face in Portugal, because we share that universal language: music” he explains. Rui's relationship with China began in 2015 during a tourist visit. “I had no intention of staying, let alone collaborating with local musicians or artists”, he recalls. However, fate led him to meet musicians, composers, artists, and producers who quickly integrated him into the Chinese music scene. “It all happened very naturally. I ended up accepting a challenge to write a concert for an orchestra, blending traditional Chinese music with Western elements”, he shares. “I believe that the fusion of different cultures, viewpoints, and ideas can create something truly special, so I accepted without hesitation, even though I was technically on vacation!” the composer remembers.

For Rui Ribeiro, collaborating with Chinese musicians has been enriching both musically and personally. “Chinese people can be shy, but they are incredibly curious and dedicated. I immediately identified with that demeanor”, he says. Over the years, Rui learned to speak Mandarin to improve his communication with musicians. “Today, I can communicate in Mandarin, which has significantly strengthened my connection with them”, he says proudly.

One of the biggest surprises Rui found in China was the level of specialization among production teams. “In Portugal, we often wear many hats in a project, acting as true ‘jack-of-all-trades.’ In China, there are assistants for everything”, the composer notes, still astonished by the rigor and organization of the process. “Once, an assistant asked me about the thickness and color of the paper for the musicians' scores, and I thought, ‘Huh? In Portugal, I would have to print the scores myself and bring them to the rehearsals, even in large productions!” He admits that this structured environment allowed him to work more efficiently and focus solely on the creative aspect, while also pointing out that the Portuguese reality isn’t necessarily negative: “I remember an interesting incident that highlights how multidisciplinary a Portuguese person can be. During a soundcheck before a concert in 2017, which involved a small chamber orchestra, some traditional Chinese instruments, a band with drums, bass, guitar, piano, and several singers, I wasn’t comfortable with the sound in my in-ears, so I went straight to the stage sound engineer. I told him I preferred not to have compression on the master because it was squashing the sound and cutting the dynamics, that there was a certain muddiness around 120Hz, that I couldn’t hear the overhead microphones on the drums well, that the voices had a very long and loud reverb, and that the string section was ot balanced among themselves. The engineer, an experienced gentleman in his 50s, looked at me wide-eyed for a few seconds and immediately made the changes I requested expertly. After the concert, he came to talk to me and said he had never heard a conductor request sound adjustments with that level of detail in his 30 years of experience in China. I thought, ‘This is the superpower of being Portuguese!’ We ended up having dinner together, along with half the orchestra, sharing life stories”, the composer shares with a chuckle.

Beyond the technical aspects, Rui reflects on the common stereotype that Chinese musicians are more “reserved” in their musical interpretation: “Perhaps this prejudice stems from the fact that Chinese people don’t express their emotions as openly as Westerners, but that doesn’t mean they feel less. The highest compliment I can receive from an audience in China is when, at the end of an emotionally charged piece, there’s a silence where the music resonates in the room, with thousands of people sharing that moment in silence... only after does the applause come. I believe that achieving a crowd’s silence is far more challenging than getting them to express themselves vocally. It doesn’t imply that expressing feelings is inferior, nor does internalizing them signify a superior way of feeling... both are legitimate. That said, both Chinese musicians and listeners are highly sensitive and deeply love music. In fact, after touring both Portugal and China, I’ve found that it’s much more common to see Chinese people singing, playing instruments, or dancing in the streets. So, it’s a mistake to think there’s less appreciation for music in China or that the Chinese are more ‘cold’ in their interpretation or appreciation.”

Rui Ribeiro also emphasizes the culture of musical covers in China, which differs from the situation in Portugal: “In Portugal, it’s rare for a cover version of a song to be more successful than the original. There are a few exceptions to that overwhelming rule, but in China, this happens frequently and without prejudice towards covers.” Rui compares this practice to classical music: “Just as in classical music, where we constantly hear new interpretations of works created centuries ago and maintain interest in the diverse interpretations by conductors, orchestras, or instrumentalists, the same occurs across all musical genres in China, from traditional to pop.” While this approach sometimes raises controversies regarding authorship, which the composer suggests still appears a bit “grey,” he also sees it as an opportunity for continuous repertoire renewal. He shares an amusing anecdote: “Once, I sent sheet music for a rearranged song to a client, who warned me never to send unwatermarked scores again, as they could be posted online with different authorship within days!” Despite this concern, Rui Ribeiro points out the positive side: “This approach allows for the constant updating of repertoires that might otherwise fade away. I’ve been invited to rearrange and orchestrate traditional Chinese music for modern orchestras, as well as adapt Chinese songs for more contemporary contexts, and I believe it would be interesting to see more openness to this in Portugal, always respecting copyright rights”, the composer concludes.

Adapting to Chinese culture has been a gradual process. “Chinese people don’t like direct confrontations; they avoid conflict at all costs and are very cordial. They may smile while secretly wanting to exit the conversation”, Rui explains, laughing at his initial struggles to interpret his colleagues’ intentions. “But I quickly learned to read their micro-expressions and body language, which made communication much smoother.”

With numerous tours and projects completed in the country, Rui Ribeiro admits that he still knows only a small part of China. “China is vast. I always tell my friends: if in Portugal we notice differences between Lisbon and Alentejo regions, or between a The Azores and Trás-os-Montes, just imagine a country the size of China, with 23 provinces, most of which are larger than countries like France or Germany”, he reflects. For the composer, this diversity is one of the great riches of the country, something that continues to inspire him to explore and create new musical fusions. “I believe that music plays a fundamental role in promoting tolerance and understanding of differences”, he affirms. His experiences in China are living proof of this, showcasing how music can unite cultures and build bridges where there were once only barriers.

Team Rui Ribeiro

Rui Ribeiro with Chinese musicians in 2017, in a photo taken on stage before one of the many concerts he conducted in China.